Swimming World October 2021 Issue

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OCTOBER 2021 • VOL 62 • NO 10 FEATURES 010 THE OLYMPIC “QUADRENNIUM:” A LOOK BACK AND A LOOK AHEAD

by David Rieder Swimming World reflects on the last five years since the last Olympic Games in Rio and ponders the questions that lie ahead during the next three years leading up to Paris 2024.

014 A CANADIAN SURGE

by Matthew De George Swimmers from Canada exceeded expectations at the Tokyo Games. And the Canadian delegation showed that the future is as bright as the present, with prolific young talents on both sides of the competition.

020 ISHOF FEATURE: AQUATOTS MURDER CASE—THE KATHY TONGAY STORY (Part 1)

by Bruce Wigo It is doubtful that in the annals of aquatic history, there has ever been an example of abusive parents like the story of “little Kathy Tongay.”

024 EXPECT GREAT THINGS!

by John Lohn David Popovici just turned 17 years old, but the Romanian sprint freestyler appears poised to follow a path to prominence.

031 NUTRITION: KNOW THYSELF

by Dawn Weatherwax Knowing your body composition can help you swim fast and stay healthy.

030 WEIGHT ROOM COMMON SENSE These “Do’s and Dont’s” are courtesy of exercise scientist J.R. Rosania, whose performance enhancement firm Healthplex serves multisport athletes worldwide.

034 SWIMMING TECHNIQUE CONCEPTS: MAXIMIZING SWIMMING VELOCITY (Part 5): MINIMIZING THE ARM RECOVERY PHASE

by Rod Havriluk The greatest possible time decreases for additional swimming velocity increases are in the non-propulsive phases (entry and recovery). This article includes strategies to minimize the recovery phase time of all four strokes.

024 ON THE COVER

045 Q&A WITH COACHES RON & RICH BLANC

by Michael J. Stott 046 HOW THEY TRAIN MAGGIE McGUIRE & JACK NUGENT

by Michael J. Stott

Although better known for his exploits in the 100 free, David Popovici came within 2-hundredths from claiming a bronze medal in the men’s 200 freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics as a 16-year-old. Despite the presence of Michael Phelps and Ian Thorpe as teen prodigies, it is rare for a male that young to emerge as a global force. But the Romanian sprinter, now 17, certainly has the skill set—physically and mentally—to etch a special career.

And watching it develop is going to be a whole lot of fun. (See feature, pages 24-26.)

[PHOTO BY GEORGIO SCALIA / DEEPBLUEMEDIA]

TRAINING 033 DRYSIDE TRAINING: BACK TO BASICS (Part 1)

by J.R. Rosania

JUNIOR SWIMMER 044 UP & COMERS: MARYJANE (MJ) NEILSON

by Shoshanna Rutemiller

COACHING 029 BASIC DRYLAND TRAINING

by Michael J. Stott A concentrated, ongoing strength and conditioning regimen provides a quality supplement to in-pool training, helping swimmers become stronger and faster.

Coaches Ron and Rich Blanc of Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Southern California share last season’s dryland training schedule that helped his girls’ and boys’ teams become national powers.

COLUMNS & SPECIAL SECTIONS 008 A VOICE FOR THE SPORT

014

009 DID YOU KNOW: ABOUT FAMOUS GUYS WHO GOLF? 016 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 036 PREP SCHOOL DIRECTORY` 048 GUTTERTALK 049 PARTING SHOT

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SWIMMING WORLD MAGAZINE (ISSN 0039-7431). Note: permission to reprint articles or excerpts from contents is prohibited without permission from the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for errors in advertisements. Microfilm copies: available from University Microfilms, 313 N. First St., Ann Arbor, MI 48103. Swimming World Magazine is listed in the Physical Education Index. Printed in the U.S.A. © Sports Publications International October 2021.

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VOICE FOR THE SPORT

RIVALRIES INSPIRE GREATNESS

BY JOHN LOHN

T

he cover of this month’s issue of Swimming World shows David Popovici, seemingly destined for greatness, celebrating his European Junior title in the 100 meter freestyle in splashy form. Because of his precocious talent, an editorial decision was made to place the Romanian teenager in a front-and-center position.

Michael Phelps has been on the cover on numerous occasions. So has Ian Thorpe.

And Mark Spitz. Count Janet Evans as a former cover star, along with Katie Ledecky and Tracy Caulkins. Honestly, if you earn a Swimming World cover nod, the honor equates to superstar status—plain and simple. Heck, there’s only 12 of them in a year.

Yes, Popovici still has much to prove, but his trajectory suggests big things ahead.

More, he has an antagonist to push him toward his goals, which undoubtedly include Olympic gold medals and world-record performances. More on that guy in a moment.

When Phelps ascended to the top of Mount Olympus, his climb was achieved in dominant fashion. There were plenty of routs along the way, the opposition unable to match his ability. But there were also a handful of athletes who fueled Phelps toward his goals. As the one-time face of the sport, Thorpe was the guy he needed to supplant.

Another Ian, this one with the surname of Crocker, served as a major obstacle in the 100 butterfly.

The truth is, rivalries play a defining role in the sport. They routinely provide highlight moments, and their head-to-head nature tends to ignite a fire in one, if not both, of the involved parties. So, as Popovici—youth on his side—embarks on a fullforce chase for international medals, he is positioned to benefit from the presence of a rival.

In Sunwoo Hwang, Popovici might have the foe necessary to elevate his performances to the next level. Popovici is the more-hyped of the teens, but the 18-year-old Korean isn’t far behind. At the Olympic Games in Tokyo, where Popovici advanced to the finals of the 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle, Hwang accomplished the same feat.

Beyond finishing places, Hwang displayed a not-afraid-of-anything demeanor during his Olympic debut. He attacked his events with vigor, not concerned in the least with going out too fast and fading. Rather, he was a kid who felt he belonged—and confirmed that belief through his swims. He is another youthful phenom, and Hwang and Popovici could pull each other to greater heights. Think Phelps and Ryan Lochte.

With the Tokyo Games fresh in the rearview mirror, the sport is in a terrific place.

The pool features a dynamic combination of veteran talent and youthful skill, and there is no shortage of rivalries to spice up the international competitions on the horizon.

In men’s action, the past two Olympic champions in the 100 freestyle, American Caeleb Dressel and Australian Kyle Chalmers, are expected to add further chapters to their rivalry. While Dressel has beaten Chalmers for the past two major crowns, both showdowns were tight—12-hundredths separating them at the 2019 World Championships and just 6-hundredths the difference at the Olympics this past summer.

On the women’s side, Aussie Ariarne Titmus has taken the upper hand in her rivalry with American Katie Ledecky in the 400 freestyle. Through grinding work and determination, Titmus erased a gap with Ledecky that once seemed impossibly large.

Now, we ask these questions: Will Titmus remain on top, or will Ledecky find a way to regain her perch?

The World Championships will be held in Japan in May, and that is the next time we will see the aforementioned rivalries unfold further. That meet, slated for Fukuoka, is also where Popovici and Hwang could battle again, and they just might factor into how the podium looks.

Rivalries are a common thread of sports, and swimming has some real beauties at the moment—some established and one brewing.

Let’s hope they endure.v

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INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING HALL OF FAME

DID YOU

KNOW ABOUT FAMOUS GUYS WHO GOLF?

BY BRUCE WIGO PHOTOS BY INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING HALL OF FAME

M

ichael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time, and he has long held a passion for golf. Though he hasn’t ascended to the top of the pro golf world just yet, he has played in some respectable competitions, and even once sunk a 159-foot putt at the Dunhill Links in what is thought to be the longest televised putt ever.

At a recent celebrity tournament, he displayed a new set of clubs stamped with the Olympic rings and 28 stars, one for each of the 28 Olympic medals he has won. Now, while the golf world is keeping an eye on the fast-improving Phelps, he’s not the first Olympic swimming champion to turn to the terrestrial stick-and-ball game.

This brief history begins with Charles M. Daniels, the first American to win an Olympic medal in swimming. He won eight medals over three Olympiads (St. Louis 1904 3G-1S-1B; Athens 1906 1G; London 1908 1G-1B). The year after his retirement, he and his heiress wife purchased 5,000 acres of land in the Adirondacks, N.Y., and built a 9-hole golf course on his estate called Sabattis Park. The course entertained some noted players, who spent their summers on the property. Daniels became one of America’s top amateurs, carried a 2 handicap, and at one time held course records on five Eastern courses.

Duke Kahanamoku broke all of Daniel’s records in the pool, but couldn’t match him on the links. The great Hawaiian took up golf in 1914 during one of his numerous swimming trips to California. In 1924, he played a round with Olympian/sportswriter/cartoonist Feg Murray, who noted that some of Duke’s tee shots exceeded 300 yards and that he walked the course even faster than he swam. Duke’s best score was a 74, and he reportedly drove a golf ball 395 yards. He once shot a hole-in-one at the 216-yard seventh hole of the Oahu Country Club. But as Duke told Murray, on the very next day he went out and took an 8 on the exact same hole, losing two balls—and his temper—so he never called it the “Lucky Seventh.”

Johnny Weissmuller’s coach introduced him to golf in the early 1920s, and by 1924, “the human fish” had lowered his best score to an 89. After his retirement from swimming—and as his movie career as “Tarzan” waned—golf became one of his two passions. The other was helping worthy causes, and celebrity golf tournaments gave him a chance to do both. In one tournament in 1950, he shot a sizzling 139 over 36 holes. After that, he was never given the handicap allowed other movie stars and amateurs.

Ed Moses, a breaststroker who won Olympic gold and silver in 2000, actually started his sporting career as a golfer. He returned to the links as a semiprofessional golfer after the Sydney Games. He once shot 64 on the course that hosts the PGA Tour’s Arnold Palmer Invitational.

In 2009, Moses appeared on Golf Channel’s Big Break Disney Golf. *** Something to ponder: There are certainly more swimmers in the world than golfers. Except during the Olympics, why isn’t there more interest in swimmers and swimming than in golfers and golf? v Bruce Wigo, historian and consultant at the International Swimming Hall of Fame, served as president/CEO of ISHOF from 2005-17.

TOTAL ACCESS MEMBERS CLICK HERE TO SEE A GOLF CARTOON FEATURING JOHNNY WEISSMULLER. NOT A TOTAL ACCESS MEMBER? YOU’RE JUST A CLICK AWAY: SWIMMINGWORLD.COM/VAULT OCTOBER 2021

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THE OLYMPIC “QUADRENNIUM:”

A LOOK BACK AND A LOOK AHEAD Swimming World reflects on the last five years since the last Olympic Games in Rio and ponders the questions that lie ahead during the next three years leading up to Paris 2024.

BY DAVID RIEDER

F

ive years ago, the swimming world had just watched as the sport’s alltime greatest, Michael Phelps, finished his swimming career with another history>> At least on the men’s side, Caeleb Dressel is the new face of swimming. No, he is not Phelps, and he will never be—not making performance. In Rio, Phelps was just because he specializes in sprints while Phelps was more of a 100/200 swimmer. Like Phelps, he is versatile and not at the level of the historic Beijing dominant in multiple events, and he has shown a knack for putting forth his best performances while in the brightest of spotlights. [ Photo Courtesy: Grace Hollars / USA Today Sports ] Olympics in 2008 where he won eight gold medals and set seven world records, world’s dominant swimmer, having become just the second female but he recaptured gold in the 200 meter swimmer ever to capture gold in the 200, 400 and 800 freestyle in butterfly, his signature event, and won his fourth straight gold medal one Olympics, the latter two performances coming with massive in the 200 IM (while no other man has ever even three-peated in world records. Over the next five years, Ledecky would never again an Olympics). He also was critical in three American relay gold reach that level of dominance or speed, but she has remained one of medals. With Phelps retiring, the sport would certainly have a void the world’s best. to fill, the role of world’s best now up for grabs.

In Tokyo, she swam the second-best performance of her career Today, there is 25-year-old Caeleb Dressel. Dressel bristles at in the 400 free as she brought home a hard-fought silver medal, and comparisons to Phelps, and no swimmer deserves being compared to then, just over an hour after finishing a disappointing fifth in the 200 a man who won 28 Olympic medals, 23 of them gold. But Dressel’s free, she became the first-ever female gold medalist in the 1500 free. emergence as the world’s best swimmer was the No. 1 story of the She then used a brilliant anchor leg on the 800 free relay to elevate last five years, the “quadrennium” that became five years because the Americans to silver before winning her third straight gold medal of the COVID-delayed Olympic postponement from 2020 to 2021. in the 800 free, becoming just the third woman (along with Dawn The first major meet after the Rio Olympics, the 2017 World Fraser/100 free and Krisztina Egerszegi/200 back) to three-peat in Championships, saw Dressel tie Phelps’ record with seven gold any race. medals at one Worlds, including three on one night. Dressel But the biggest story of the Tokyo quad for the women took benefited from some relay events added to the program, but his haul longer to develop. At the past two Olympics, Australia had entered was stunning and impressive, nonetheless. the Games with gold medal threats, particularly in 2016, only to Two years later, Dressel won eight medals (six gold and two finish with very underwhelming medal tallies. In 2021, three silver) at Worlds, setting the all-time record. But his biggest moment Australians looked like gold-medal favorites in multiple individual would come at the showcase of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, and events, and all three of them came through. he delivered there, too. He won three individual gold medals—in First, there was the pair of 20-year-olds. Ariarne Titmus was the 100 freestyle, 100 butterfly and 50 freestyle—to become just the swimmer who took down Ledecky in the 400 free, recording the third man after Phelps and Mark Spitz to win more than two the second-fastest time in history and just missing Ledecky’s world individual golds in one Olympics. He lowered his world record in record in the process, and she also was impressive in winning the 100 fly and led two American relays to gold medals. gold in the 200 free, just a month after recording history’s secondAt least on the men’s side, Dressel is the new face of swimming. fastest time. Meanwhile, Kaylee McKeown had recorded scorching No, he is not Phelps, and he will never be—not just because he backstroke swims seemingly every time she raced since November, specializes in sprints while Phelps was more of a 100/200 swimmer.

But like Phelps, Dressel is versatile and dominant in multiple events, and she broke the 100 back world record in June. In Tokyo, she and he has shown a knack for putting forth his best performances scored gold medals three times—in the 100 back, 200 back and as while in the brightest of spotlights. part of Australia’s 400 medley relay.

The Games’ star, however, was Emma McKeon, a longovershadowed sprinter who won seven medals, more than any THE WOMEN FROM DOWN UNDER DOMINATE female swimmer ever at one Olympics. She took home individual At the end of the last Olympics, Katie Ledecky was the 10

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>> With her third straight Olympic gold medal in the 800 free at Tokyo, Katie Ledecky became just the third woman (along with Dawn Fraser/100 free and Krisztina Egerszegi/200 back) to three-peat in any race. [ Photo Courtesy: Grace Hollars / USA Today Sports ]

gold medals after dominant wins in the 100 freestyle and 50 freestyle—approaching world records in both—and she was the best swimmer on two golden Australian relays, the 400 free and 400 medley. She also won three bronze medals. McKeon had shown talent and versatility and particular aptitude for fast relay swims time after time over her elite international career, which stretches back to 2013, but her emergence as the best swimmer in the world was less expected.

CHANGING OF THE STARS

In 26 individual pool swimming events contested at both the Rio and Tokyo Olympics, only two of them had repeat gold medalists in 2021. That was Ledecky in the 800 free and Adam Peaty in the 100 breaststroke—in the same year when only the second swimmer ever (Arno Kamminga) joined him under 58 seconds in the 100 breast.

(Peaty has gone under 58 seconds 20 times!)

Why so few repeat winners? Certainly, the five-year gap between Olympics made some impact as veterans struggled to hold off improving young talent. On the women’s side, Lilly King was upset as a big favorite in the 100 breast, Sarah Sjostrom’s elbow fracture hampered her training for Tokyo, and Katinka Hosszu was nowhere near her record-breaking level of 2016.

For the men, a handful of the gold medalists from Rio simply never returned to their elite form, but many were still in contention, just not atop the podium. While Ryan Murphy swept the backstroke events in 2016, he ended up with a bronze and a silver this time, as Evgeny Rylov took over as the new gold-medal man in backstroke.

Kyle Chalmers, the shocking teenage 100 free gold medalist in Rio, was part of one of the Games’ best showdowns, as he and Dressel battled to the wall in the 100 free, with Chalmers emerging as the silver medalist by just 6-hundredths.

Distance man Gregorio Paltrinieri was also a victim of life’s circumstances in Tokyo, as he dealt with mononucleosis, but he still left Tokyo with two medals, while 2016 400 free gold medalist Mack Horton swam what was at the time the world’s third-fastest 400 free,

but it was not good enough to qualify for Australia’s Olympic team with two men finishing ahead of him. All of these swimmers were good, but the cycle of swimming meant that this would no longer be their turn to stand atop the podium.

Meanwhile, the men’s field has plenty of new entrants that impressed in Tokyo, and maybe with only a three-year leadup to the next Olympics in Paris, they will be better equipped to make a run at a repeat. Great Britain’s men were brilliant in Tokyo, with Tom Dean and Duncan Scott going 1-2 in the 200 free, and Scott also finishing with a silver medal in the 200 IM. Scott and James Guy each contributed to multiple relay medals.

Russia has been building for years toward an elite men’s squad, and that showed with Rylov’s two gold medals in backstroke and 21-year-old Kliment Kolesnikov earning two individual medals of his own. Another of Russia’s stars, 200 breast world record holder Anton Chupkov, was just off the podium in that event.

And how about Italy, in a twist few saw coming, winning two relay medals, silver in the 400 free and bronze in the 400 medley? In addition to Paltrinieri, Italy saw 22-year-old Nicolo Martinenghi and 19-year-old Federico Burdisso each get on the podium individually, and 20-year-old Thomas Ceccon came very close to joining them with a fourth-place finish in the 100 back.

But the biggest rising superstar among men is Kristof Milak, the 21-year-old Hungarian who was absolutely dominant in the men’s 200 butterfly, his 2.48-second margin of victory far more than any of Michael Phelps’ golden efforts in that event. He has already beaten Phelps’ world record in the 200 fly, and in Tokyo, he went faster than Phelps ever did in the 100 fly, pushing Dressel all the way to the wall. Do not be surprised if by Paris, Milak is the world’s best swimmer.

TEENAGERS PROPEL U.S. WOMEN

Australia was the team of the Olympics for the women with eight gold medals, but the United States actually captured more medals overall (18, compared to Australia’s 13)—with a team that included CONTINUED ON 12 >> OCTOBER 2021

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THE OLYMPIC "QUADRENNIUM" / Continued from 11

did not even qualify for the U.S. Olympic team in the 200 back, although she did win bronze in the 100 back and swim a very impressive 200 fly to win silver.

But the Americans had Jacoby plus three teenagers who made the podium in the IM events, Emma Weyant, Alex Walsh and Kate Douglass. Torri Huske barely missed the podium (by 1-hundredth) in the 100 fly, and Erica Sullivan swam an amazing race to capture silver in the 1500 free behind Ledecky. Katie Grimes, just 15, was fourth in the 800 free.

That’s by no means an exhaustive list of the young American talent on the women’s side, and this group has an incredibly bright future. They did not match up well as far as gold medals this year, but there could be a lot more to come—particularly with the next Games just three years away. >> The Tokyo Games’ star was Emma McKeon, who won seven medals—more than any female swimmer ever at one Olympics. She took home individual gold medals in the 50 and 100 freestyles, approaching world records in both. She also was the best swimmer on two golden Australian relays, the 400 free and 400 medley, and she won three bronze medals. [ Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher / USA Today Sports ]

THE AMAZING MOMENTS OF AN OLYMPICS

Every single Olympics produces outof-nowhere stunners. Remember Dmitriy Balandin winning the 200 breast at the 2016 Games? Well, there are two in particular to make note of from Tokyo, both involving swimmers from Africa.

First, Ahmed Hafnaoui in the men’s 400 free: Seeded 16th prior to the meet and barely qualifying for the final as the eighth seed, Hafnaoui hung with leader Jack McLoughlin of Australia and then sprinted past him on the last length to capture gold.

Then, the world witnessed an emotional celebration as the 18-year-old became just the second Tunisian man after Ous Mellouli to win Olympic gold (or even an Olympic medal) in swimming.

Five days later, South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker captured gold in the women’s 200 breast after she already won silver and set an Olympic record in the 100 breast.

South Africa has won a medal in swimming at every Olympics since 1996, and the men have won gold as recently as Cameron van der Burgh in 2012. But the last woman from the country to win gold was Penny Heyns back in 1996, and the last women’s >> The only individual gold medalists to repeat from Rio to Tokyo were Katie Ledecky in the 800 free and Adam Peaty in the 100 breaststroke—in the same year when only the second swimmer ever (Arno Kamminga) joined him under 58 seconds medalist was Heyns in 2000. in the 100 breast. (Peaty has gone under 58 seconds 20 times!) [ Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher / USA Today Sports ] And at the last Olympics in Rio, South Africa did not send a single female 10 teenagers. It was an impressive performance, but still not a participant. None at all. This time, they had perfect one—not with the women earning just three golds. Ledecky two in the 200 breaststroke final alone. won two of her events, and 17-year-old Alaskan Lydia Jacoby was a Unlike Hafnaoui, Schoenmaker was among the favorites, at least stunning winner in the 100 breast. in the 200 breast, but she simply blew expectations out of the water.

But no American women’s relays won gold for the first time She got herself into contention in the 100 breast, which few saw since 2008. Sprint star Simone Manuel struggled in 2021 after being coming, and then, in her preferred event, she lowered an eight-yeardiagnosed with overtraining syndrome, and King was beaten in the old world record and became the first woman ever to break 2:19.

100 breast for the first time in six years, although her silver medal After that race, Schoenmaker and American medalists King in the 200 breast was by far her best-ever performance in that race. and Annie Lazor came together for a celebratory hug, then Schoenmaker’s fellow South African in the final, Kaylene Corbett, Regan Smith, a world record breaker in 2019, struggled in 2021 and 12

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joined them to create one of the most heartwarming moments in any sport of the Tokyo Games.

WHAT’S NEXT?

After Tokyo, the swimming world is embarking on a new quadrennium, albeit a very unusual one with the Paris Games only three years away. We have questions to ask, but no answers...not yet. Those will develop in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Among those questions: • Because of the shortened gap between Olympics, will less about the sport and its stars change before Paris arrives?

The logical answer is “yes.” Young swimmers, such as that contingent from the United States, could continue to develop and improve, but we cannot know for sure.

• Can the Australian women maintain their incredible momentum after their rebound performance in Tokyo?

Swimmers such as McKeon, Titmus and McKeown are battling history, as only one Australian woman has ever successfully defended an individual Olympic gold medal in swimming: Dawn Fraser, who won the 100 free in 1956, 1960 and 1964. Recent stars such as Stephanie Rice, Leisel Jones, Libby Trickett and Petria Thomas could never return to the top of the podium. Susie O’Neill, the only Aussie woman besides Fraser to win individual golds in multiple Olympics, came close to successfully defending her 1996 Olympic gold in the 200 fly, but American Misty Hyman got the better of her in one of the biggest upsets ever at an Olympics.

>> The biggest rising superstar among men is Kristof Milak, the 21-year-old Hungarian who was absolutely dominant in the men’s 200 butterfly, his 2.48-second margin of victory far more than any of Michael Phelps’ golden efforts in that event. He also went faster than Phelps ever did in the 100 fly, pushing Dressel all the way to the wall. Do not be surprised if by Paris, Milak is the world’s best swimmer [ Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher / USA Today Sports ]

>> The U.S. women won the most medals overall (18, compared to Australia’s 13) with a team that included 10 teenagers. But of that total, only three were gold: Katie Ledecky (800-1500 free) and Lydia Jacoby (100 breast/pictured). And no American women’s relays won gold for the first time since 2008. [ Photo Courtesy: Robert Hanashiro / USA Today Sports ]

• Can swimmers like Dressel and Peaty maintain their margins atop the world?

And how about Ledecky? She may be slightly past her incredible peak when you consider times, but she will have a chance to become the first woman to win four straight swimming gold medals in one event (and only Phelps has done so among men).

Can these all-time greats sustain their momentum for three more years?

• What do the Canadian women have in store after two straight historic Olympic performances? Two Games in a row have seen Canadian women win individual gold (Penny Oleksiak in 2016 and Maggie MacNeil in 2021), and Canada has won four relay medals during that span. The next budding star is 14-year-old Summer McIntosh, who did not win a medal in Tokyo, but was fourth in the 400 free and swam an incredible leadoff on Canada’s 800 free relay, which also ended up fourth. She is already one of the world’s best in the middle distance freestyle races, and she has shown potential in other events, too. Think how good McIntosh could become.

• And since the Olympics will be in Paris, how about France’s swimming prospects? Florent Manaudou was the country’s only

medalist in Tokyo with his silver in the 50 free, marking the third straight Games when the 30-year-old has made the podium in that event. The men’s 400 free relay, medalists in 2008, 2012 and 2016, finished sixth in Tokyo following a wave of turnover.

It was only nine years ago that France was, for a brief moment, leading the gold-medal count at an Olympics. In three successive races, the late Camille Muffat won gold in the 400 free, Yannick Agnel overtook Ryan Lochte for the men’s 400 free relay gold, and then, the next day, Agnel dominated the individual 200 free. Maybe this country will have some magic in store for its home Games. *** But we don’t know what the build-up to Paris will look like, and that’s what makes the beginning of the new Olympic cycle so amazing for all those involved and watching from near and far.

Whatever the next three years hold, there will undoubtedly be many fascinating and dramatic and special moments along the way, with another Olympics looming at the end. v OCTOBER 2021

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A

CANADIAN Swimmers from Canada exceeded expectations at the Tokyo Games. And the Canadian delegation showed that the future is as bright as the present, with prolific young talents on both sides of the competition.

BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE

J

ohn Atkinson’s message of uncertainty was, in its paradoxical way, consistent.

Swimming Canada’s High Performance Director was unsure what the Tokyo Olympics would bring. As one of the last major swimming nations to return to normal training schedules, the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was significant.

A thrice-postponed Olympic Trials, held in late June with a diminished field at close to the last possible minute, didn’t offer much clarity. Atkinson’s comments before departing for Tokyo were rooted in the trust of his athletes, but he stopped short of setting concrete targets, tempering expectations with the reality they faced.

If uncertainty was the correct term before the Olympics began, surprise wasn’t quite the right one by the end of the week at the Tokyo Aquatics Center.

In most every department, Canadian swimmers exceeded expectations at the Tokyo Games, adjusted down for COVID-19 or not. The Canadians left with six medals, all on the women’s side, including a gold for Maggie MacNeil in the 100 meter butterfly.

They tallied four fourth-place finishes, all in Canadian-record times, which Atkinson views as tantamount to a medal.

“They just do what they need to do to regroup and refocus,” Atkinson said. “And the resilience they’ve shown over the last 17 months of the pandemic is extraordinary and something I would

commend everybody for.”

The iconic shock and elation in MacNeil’s face at seeing the board after the 100 fly, having bested a field that included world record holder Sarah Sjostrom and eventual seven-time medalist Emma McKeon, perfectly encapsulates the Canadians’ Olympics.

It was a performance that MacNeil knew she could do, from her dominance in college at the University of Michigan to her 2019 world championship. But after having to abruptly switch training bases during the pandemic, there were still understandable reservations until that final stroke that she would be able to deliver her best at the pivotal moment.

SUCCESS IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY Every swimmer experienced their moments of adversity before the Games. Penny Oleksiak was out of the water for two extended stretches due to persistent back pain. Kylie Masse had to move cross-province to train at the High Performance Centre in Toronto when other pools were unavailable. Sydney Pickrem’s move to HPC Toronto involved a hasty decamping from her base in College Station, Texas, before the border closed.

Yet with those toils endured, the medals flowed to the Canadian women. Masse—a leader in and out of the pool and, according to Coach Ben Titley, “possibly the greatest human being I’ve ever coached”—briefly held the Olympic record in the 100 backstroke

PICTURED ABOVE: The Canadians collected six Olympic medals, all on the women’s side, including a gold in the 100 butterfly for Maggie MacNeil, who also won silver in the 400 free relay and bronze in the medley relay. Her 55.59 in the 100 fly was the only Americas record set by a woman at the Games. [ Photo Courtesy: Robert Hanashiro / USA Today Sports ]

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[Photo Courtesy Rob Schumacher / USA Today Sports]

and set national records in both backstroke events on the way to a pair of silver medals (along with a medley relay bronze). Oleksiak delivered a gutsy performance in the 200 free to rally in the final 50 for bronze and set a Canadian record in fourth place in the 100. That training group in Toronto proved to be the physical and emotional core of the team, hastening the camaraderie that most nations struggle to assemble in the few weeks before the Games.

In the relays, the Canadians tossed down a marker in the 400 freestyle by beating the Americans to silver, thanks in large part to Oleksiak’s outstanding anchor leg of 52.26 seconds. (In another continental measuring stick, MacNeil’s 55.59 in the 100 fly was the only Americas record set by a woman at the Games.) After finishing just off the podium in the 800 free relay in another Canadian record, Oleksiak added medal No. 7 of her career with bronze in the 400 medley relay to become Canada’s “I feel like we’re unstoppable. I think we grew so much as a federation in general, and we’ve most decorated Olympian—man or carried momentum in ways that I didn’t think was even possible. I think that’s really cool woman, Summer or Winter—of all time. that there’s just so much more to give...going into the next cycles and the Olympics to come.”

—Sydney Pickrem, bronze medalist, 400 medley relay “It just shows that she can step up when the pressure is at its greatest,” MacNeil said of her teammate. “That’s when it matters most, when it comes RELATIVE YOUTH STRENGTHENS down to who’s the best on the day, and that usually is Penny.”

FUTURE EXPECTATIONS Canada’s relative youth makes its progress so encouraging. Its BRIGHT SPOTS FOR CANADIAN MEN principal embodiment rests at the other end of the age spectrum DESPITE NO MEDALS from Hayden: Summer McIntosh, who finished fourth in the 400 The Canadian men didn’t carry the same pedigree to Tokyo, but free in a Canadian record of 4:02.42 at age 14. She led off the 800 they delivered what is likely Canada’s swim of the meet (outside free relay among a four-swim program where she rarely looked of MacNeil’s gold) in the 400 free relay. Little was expected from years younger than her fellow competitors, finishing ninth in the a foursome that needed a late-May time trial to solidify its Tokyo 200 free and 11th in the 800. spot and entered with the ninth seed.

It’s easy to forget, given her heaving trophy case, that Oleksiak But the team of Brent Hayden, Joshua Liendo, Yuri Kisil and is only 21 years old. MacNeil is a first-time Olympian. Kayla Markus Thormeyer ended up fourth, just 6-tenths off the podium.

Sanchez, in her first Games at 20, looked an unflappable relay cog on the way to two medals. Though she struggled individually, They were third at the final handoff, though Thormeyer was no 21-year-old Taylor Ruck rebounded for solid relay swims as the match for Kyle Chalmers in the Australians’ march up from sixth Games wore on. With two Olympics under their belts, neither place to the bronze medal. Regardless of the placement, the time Masse (25) nor Pickrem (24) is at the end of the road. The most of 3:10.82 chopped nearly 1.5 seconds off the national record impressive swimmer on the men’s side was the 19-year-old that had stood since the super-suited Beijing Olympics, a squad Liendo, finishing 11th in the 100 fly and 14th in the 100 free.

Hayden also led off. The 37-year-old, who unretired in 2019, was the lightning rod for progress in a young core. He tied for ninth *** in the 50 free, earning a semifinal swim, and his leadoff swim of It’s a lot to be proud of in Tokyo, but it’s also a lot to build on 47.99 in the relay would’ve finished 10th in the 100 free. Both in the abbreviated preparations for Paris in 2024. times, when you account for tech suits, are comparable to what he “I feel like we’re unstoppable,” Pickrem said. “I think we grew was capable of in his mid-20s. so much as a federation in general, and we’ve carried momentum “This means that I made the right decision to come back,” in ways that I didn’t think was even possible. I think that’s really Hayden said. “After being out of the sport for seven years, less cool that there’s just so much more to give.... than two years of training, and I throw down a sub-48 100 meter “Sometimes Ky (Masse) and I feel old, and we’re not old. And freestyle—I’m not swimming it individually, so I’m counting that that’s how crazy it is, how young our team is, and the fact that as my time at the Olympics. I don’t regret my decision in London; we just have so much to give going into the next cycles and the I think at the time, it was right. But I’m really thankful that I had Olympics to come.” the support from the people around me to come back to the sport Those expectations are ones Atkinson might not mind touting this far from Paris.v and fall in love with it all over again.”

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INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING HALL OF FAME

AQUATOTS MURDER CASE:

THE KATHY TONGAY STORY PA R T O N E

BY BRUCE WIGO | PHOTOS BY I NTERNATIONAL SWIMMING HALL OF FAME

We all want the best for our children—to see them grow up to become healthy, happy and successful adults. For many of us, teaching our children to swim well and love the water through competitive aquatics is an important part of the good parenting formula. But there are some parents— whether pushed by their own dreams or pulled by their child’s talent—who step over the line of having a positive, supportive and encouraging relationship with their children.

In the extreme, this “support” can morph into emotional and even physical abuse that may not even be recognized at the time. But I doubt that in the annals of aquatic history, there has ever been an example of abusive parents like the story of “little Kathy Tongay.”

>> “The Water Babies” by Charles Kingsley was intended to be a satire of Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species.”

I

had never heard of Kathy Tongay until early last month, when I received a call from Gail Roper, a 1952 U.S. Olympian and longtime ISHOF supporter. She called to tell me that upon seeing the spectacular 27-meters-high diving tower being built at the Hall of Fame pool in Fort Lauderdale, she couldn’t help but think of “little Kathy Tongay.”

“Kathy who?” I asked.

“Oh, surely you’ve heard of Kathy Tongay,” said Gail.

When I sheepishly confessed my lack of recognition, Gail filled in the gap of my historical ignorance, and now I’m able to share it with you.

“THE WATER BABIES” But before getting to Kathy, we need to go back many years before she was born in 1947—back to 1863 and the publication of a Victorian children’s novel and fairy tale, “The Water Babies” by Charles Kingsley.

At the time of its publication, the idea of small European children learning to swim was pure fantasy. The book’s appearance also coincided with the publication of Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species,” and Kingsley’s book was meant be a satire on the theory of evolution. For as Darwin’s theory proclaimed that land animals evolved from water animals, one of Kingsley’s characters asks, “Why should not a land animal sometimes change into a water animal?” And, one wonders, how would this “strange 20

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>> The phenomena of baby swimming prodigies from the New York Evening World (1922)

transformation from a land baby to a water baby” occur?

As his book was also a polemic against child labor, Kingsley’s protagonist was a young, overworked chimney sweep named Tom. One day, exhausted and all covered with soot, Tom fell into a river and disappeared.

When his clothes were found wrapped around “a black thing in the water” a few days later, those who found it concluded that it was poor Tom’s body and that he had drowned. But they were mistaken. A fairy had found Tom underwater, split open his filthy “husk and shell,” and “the pretty little real Tom was washed out of the inside of it, and swam away.” Tom had been transformed into an amphibious water baby who was cleaner, healthier and happier than he had ever been before—living among other water babies who inhabited the aquatic world.

By the 1920s, scientists, physicians and physical education experts were proclaiming that babies were “naturally amphibious” and took “to the water like ducks,” if given the chance. They pointed to the mental and physical development of a number of young boys and girls in Australia and California who had learned “to swim like fishes” at an early age. Many of the children studied had never been sick a day in their lives, and it was noted that bathing and swimming was almost a panacea for childhood ailments like rickets and even “temper tantrums.” “(Swimming) hardens the muscles,” they said, “increases weight, tones up the appetite, stimulates circulation, improves the skin, develops the chest and quickens the faculties.”

>> The “Miami Water Babies”: (from left) Helen, Mary and Ruth Hoerger

AQUATIC PRODIGIES These claims created a demand for aquatic prodigies to perform in the water shows that were so popular in the first half of the 20th century. Among the first of these baby performers was Rhoda Cavill, the granddaughter of Syd Cavill, who has been credited with popularizing the Australian crawl.

Little Rhoda was a popular star of the Cavil Water Circus that toured all across the USA. As a 3-year old, Rhoda was proclaimed by her father as “Baby Swimming Champion of the World” after swimming the Australian crawl over a 440-yard course at the Neptune Baths in Alameda, Calif., in 1921.

Then there was “Baby Bianca,” the 3-year old swimming prodigy of Hall of Fame coach Fred Cady of the Los Angeles Athletic Club, and Virgina Stamme, the 5 year-old diving prodigy.

But the most celebrated child star of the era was Jackie Ott, “the Miami Marvel,” the “Perfect Child” nicknamed “Aquatot.”

Like Rhoda and Bianca, Jackie literally learned to swim before he could walk, and started performing for his father in “Alexander Ott’s Water Follies” when he was just 18 months old. By the age of 5, he was performing Houdini-like escape routines, diving from the 10-foot board with his hands and feet tied together. He shared top billing with Hall of Famers Johnny Weissmuller, Stubby Kruger and Peter Desjardins, and is believed to be the first diver in the world to complete a 3-1/2 somersault.

Following Jackie Ott were the “Miami Beach Water Babies,” as Ruth, Mary and Helen Hoerger were christened by the Roman Pools, where they performed. They were the children of Francis Billsbarrow, a swimmer and diver from St. Louis, who having failed in her dream to become an Olympic champion, retained a burning desire to realize her dream through her children. The oldest, Ruth, made her first splash in 1924 at 26 months of age,

when she dove off a diving board to “rescue” her little dolly in the middle of the pool. Mary began performing in shows at the age of 1-1/2, and as an 8-year-old who stood 3 feet, 10 inches tall and weighed 60 pounds, just missed qualifying for the 1932 U.S. Olympic diving team. She finished fourth by less than a full point...but the Hoerger family story is for a future article.

MOST FAMOUS JUVENILE AQUATIC STARS OF ALL At last we come to little Kathy Tongay, who along with her older brother, Russell “Bubber” Tongay Jr., became—for a short time—the most famous juvenile aquatic stars of them all.

Like Francis Billsbarrow, Kathy’s and Bubber’s father, Russell Tongay, was a swimming champion in St. Louis. He had hopes of becoming another Johnny Weissmuller, but never made it. After some success as a swimming instructor and serving a stint in the Coast Guard, Russell married, started a family and moved to Miami with the idea of making his children aquatic stars.

Almost from birth, Russel began dunking his kids in the water and had them swimming laps by their first year. On a visit to St. Louis in 1949, Bubber and Kathy made national headlines for swimming 4.6 miles in the Mississippi River with their father.

Bubber was 3-1/2 years old and Kathy was 2.

In 1950, Bubber swam 22 miles in the open water and could swim 200 feet underwater holding his breath, while Kathy smashed the distance record for 3-year-olds with a 12-mile swim.

Then, when their father/manager announced that Sir Billy Butlin, the millionaire sponsor of the annual English Channel Race, would cover all expenses of the “sensational aquatots” for their participation in his professional race the next summer, the Tongays became international celebrities.

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KATHY TONGAY / Continued from 21

>> While America celebrated the achievements of the Tongays, the British and French thought the parents were exploitative and abusive.

(Pictured: the Tongays arriving in London in 1951)

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In early June of 1951, the Tongays began their highly publicized summer tour. The first stop was at the Illinois Research Laboratory of Dr. Thomas Cureton (the ISHOF honor contributor/physiologist), who put the children through the same 100 tests and measurements he had given to Olympic champions in 1948.

Cureton called them “the most phenomenal swimmers of the their age in the world today.” He added: “The results of the tests definitely show that children of less than 6 years of age can be trained for endurance. The idea that young children cannot do exercises because their hearts fail to develop as fast as their bodies is rejected by test data.”

The tour was off to a great start, but when their plane landed in London, immigration officials refused to allow them to enter the country. The refusal came after a debate in Parliament, led by women’s organizations who wanted the parents barred from

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>> Bubber and Kathy Tongay with Esther Williams (center) on the set of Skirts Ahoy

film of 1951(in March of 1952). Then, MGM Studios announced that “the most amazing youngsters to ever dip the drink” would star alongside Esther Williams in her next film, Skirts Ahoy.

Released in 1952, the Tongay kids shared five minutes of screen time with Esther with a dazzling display of diving, swimming and underwater games and ballet. Even by today’s standards, the kids were remarkable.

In order to prepare his kids for their next yet-to-be-determined film, Russell intensified his kids’ training and watershow performance schedules. Bubber perfected a “trick swimming routine” that carried with it a $1,000 bonus for anyone who could duplicate it, as Kathy honed her skills from the 33-foot tower. >> Climactic scene with (from left) Kathy, Esther Williams and Bubber in the MGM feature film, Skirts Ahoy.

exploiting and commercializing the youngsters. Not to be deterred, Russell flew the kids to Paris, hoping they could return to England by water. But they were only allowed to remain in France upon the father’s promise that the children would not try to swim the English Channel from “the French shore.”

MORE FAME FOR THE “TONGAY AQUATOTS” The refusal by English and French authorities only made the “Tongay Aquatots” even more famous. After their return from Europe, the children toured the United States, giving swimming exhibitions, and were featured in the Warner Brothers’ film, “The World of Kids,” which would win the Oscar for best “one-reel”

***

Sadly, on May 6, 1953, after a training session, Kathy went into convulsions and died on the way to the hospital. She was two weeks shy of her sixth birthday. The next day, her father, Russell Tongay, was arrested for murder.

The story—with its sensational trial, its outcome and impact on age group swimming—will be continued next month. v

Bruce Wigo, historian and consultant at the International Swimming Hall of Fame, served as president/CEO of ISHOF from 2005-17.

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EXPECT

GREAT THINGS! David Popovici just turned 17 years old, but the Romanian sprint freestyler appears poised to follow a path to prominence.

BY JOHN LOHN

L

et’s play a game. It’s the 2024 Olympic Games, the French capital of Paris serving as the focal point of the sporting world. Three years after the COVID-19 pandemic forced a spectator-free Games in Tokyo, boisterous fans have returned to the venues. Fittingly, in the shadow of the Louvre, masterpieces have been crafted across a variety of events.

On this particular summer night, a 19-year-old stands behind the starting blocks, awaiting the start >> Most of the athletes at the European Junior Championships in early July viewed the competition as their of the final of the 100 meter freestyle. The past two primary competition of the year. For Popovici, the meet was a tuneup for the Olympics, as he claimed titles in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyles with times of 22.22, 47.30 and 1:45.95. His 100 free was a world junior record and vaulted Olympic champions in the event, American Caeleb him to No. 1 in the world entering the Olympics. [ Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto ] Dressel and Australian Kyle Chalmers, are also preparing themselves for the battle ahead. A world Then again, the great ones tend to disrupt the norm, and Popovici record might be necessary for gold. certainly has the skill set—physically and mentally—to etch a The aforementioned teenager is calm. He doesn’t get rattled. special career. And watching it develop is going to be a whole lot But he also recognizes the enormity of the moment, and how it of fun. could define his career. Having been an international factor for several years, including at the 2022 and 2023 editions of the World COMING-OUT PARTY Championships, being crowned Olympic champion is the target.

Most of the athletes at the European Junior Championships, Will David Popovici get the job done? The future will provide held in early July in Rome, viewed the competition as their primary that answer. competition of the year. For Popovici, the meet was a tuneup for the What is known is this: As we shift our attention from the Tokyo Olympics, an opportunity to set the groundwork for Tokyo. Over Olympics to the Paris Games, Popovici is a major figure in the sport, a six-day stretch, Popovici certainly made his name known—and his impact just beginning to be felt. As the years tick away toward generated significant momentum for his Games debut. the 33rd Olympiad, expect his influence to grow—even if the details Racing at the famed Foro Italico, Popovici claimed European of his tale are somewhat unusual. junior crowns in the 50 freestyle (22.22), 100 free (47.30) and 200 The truth is, Popovici’s presence as an elite performer doesn’t free (1:45.95). It was the middle distance in which Popovici shined make sense. Well, that assessment might be a little strong. Still, brightest, as his winning mark not only established a world junior seeing him rank among the elite freestylers on the planet—and on record, but vaulted him to No. 1 in the world entering the Olympics. track for greatness—is startling for a couple of reasons: That quickly, Popovici transformed from an intriguing prospect to a legitimate medal contender on the biggest stage in the sport.

• Popovici hails from a country without a rich track record of The way Popovici managed his junior-record swim was stunning, success in the sport. While Romania has produced a handful of as he went out in 22.97 and came home in an eye-popping 24.33. female Olympic medalists, Razvan Florea is the only man from Around the sport, athletes, coaches and fans were mesmerized by the his country to stand on an Olympic podium. Florea accomplished Romanian youngster’s closing speed—as good as ever seen in the the feat at the 2004 Games in Athens with a bronze medal in the event. Eventually, that finishing power is likely to be complemented 200 back. by early speed, the combination leaving Popovici as a major threat • The kid just turned 17 years old in mid-September. Despite the to the likes of Dressel and Chalmers...and the 47-second barrier. presence of Michael Phelps and Ian Thorpe as teen prodigies, “I think there are layers to him,” said two-time Australian it is rare for a male that young to emerge as a global force— Olympian Brett Hawke, who has interviewed Popovici several times especially in a power event such as the 100 freestyle. Typically, on his podcast. “I think the first thing that has to be there is a freaky success comes later, when muscle has been enhanced. gift, and he has a gift. He has a physique like a young basketball player.

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Huge hands. Huge feet.

He’s physically built differently. Then you have his feel for the water. When you watch him swim, he has an Anthony Ervin feel.

He is one in a million.

He has this ability to put his hand in the water and be unlike any other swimmer. He has a natural, aquatic feel. He’s Steph Curry shooting a 3-pointer.

You can’t replicate it.

You can try, but you can’t. And when you add everything up, he has something special.”

OLYMPIC DEBUT

“I think there are layers to him. I think the first thing that has to be there is a freaky gift, and (Popovici) has a gift. He has a physique like a young basketball player. Huge hands. Huge feet. He’s physically built differently. Then you have his feel for the water. When you watch him swim, he has an Anthony Ervin feel. He is one in a million. He has this ability to put his hand in the water and be unlike any other swimmer. He has a natural, aquatic feel. He’s Steph Curry shooting a 3-pointer. You can’t replicate it. You can try, but you can’t.

And when you add everything up, he has something special.”

belonged with the best in the world.

The same could be said for Korea’s Sunwoo Hwang.

Over the next few years, it wouldn’t be stunning to see Popovici and Hwang tangle at major events. In Tokyo, the 18-year-old Hwang was fifth in the 100 freestyle (47.82) and seventh in the 200 freestyle (1:45.26), with best times of 47.56 (semifinals) and 1:44.62 (prelims).

“We swim the same events and have almost the same times, and he is almost as young as me,” Popovici said. “I’m sure he will be a great adversary in the future.”

When Popovici arrived at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, he was a must-watch athlete. With his European BEYOND HIS YEARS Junior performances as ammunition, it Listen to Popovici speak for less was legitimate to ask: Could this kid than a minute and a key element to reach the podium? At the same time, his rapid rise is evident: maturity.

Popovici also raced without tension.

Success at an early age, if not properly Although hype routinely equates to managed, can be detrimental. Athletes pressure, the Romanian escaped that with a warped perspective of their scenario. status might possess an inflated ego, In fact, Popovici wasn’t even harbor unrealistic—or untimely— expected to compete at the mostexpectations, and implode under selfrecent Games. Had the pandemic imposed pressure. not arisen and thrown the world into Popovici does not fit the mold turmoil, his association with Tokyo of an entitled phenom. Rather, he is would have been as a television —2x Australian Olympian Brett Hawke, humble and unphased by the early viewer. Only because the Olympics who has interviewed Popovici several excellence he has produced. As fast as were postponed did Popovici get the times on his podcast he has been during his teenage years, chance to make his five-ring debut.

Popovici recognizes that the past may Call the trip to Japan a bonus, albeit a prove beneficial from an experience tremendous opportunity. standpoint.

More, the 47.30 he popped at the European Junior Without question, Popovici took advantage.

Championships will always serve as his announcement to the world.

The 200 freestyle was Popovici’s first chance to dive into Olympic Yet, he simultaneously understands that history—and that singular waters, and he narrowly missed returning home with hardware swim—will play no role in his pursuit of continued world-class around his neck. Although he was better known for his exploits in speed. the 100 freestyle heading into Tokyo, Popovici’s best performance To find his way onto major podiums, specifically at the Olympic came over four laps. In the final of the 200 free, he touched the Games and World Championships, work must be done. In the water. wall in 1:44.68, just 2-hundredths behind bronze medalist Fernando In the gym. Between the ears. To his credit, he is eager to follow Scheffer of Brazil. While Popovici raced in Lane 1, Scheffer was whatever path is necessary, and is always open to the suggestions of out in Lane 8, making it nearly impossible for Popovici to gauge his Coach Adrian Radulescu. presence in the race.

Consider Popovici’s words. Does this sound like a teenager?

“Two or three months before the Olympics, I wasn’t even “Whenever I am in a very important moment, like a final or an qualified in the 200,” Popovici said. “Just managing to get fourthimportant race, I don’t think about stuff anymore,” Popovici said. best in the world blew my mind. Maybe if I saw (Scheffer), I like to “I just focus. The training is done, and there is nothing more you think I could have beat him.” can do. At the blocks, I have my lane, and I’m not looking at other Two days later, Popovici contested the final of the 100 freestyle, people. It’s just me, the blank noise in my ears and the focus and a seventh-place finish added to his portfolio following a mark of (visualization) I have done before the race.... In the moment, it’s the 48.04. Although the effort was shy of his 47.30 from the Euro Juniors hungriest who will win.” and the 47.72 he managed in the semifinals, Popovici proved he Pictured Above: Although better known for his exploits in the 100 free, Popovici’s best performance in Tokyo came in the 200 free. Swimming from Lane 1, he touched the wall in 1:44.68, just 2-hundredths from claiming a bronze medal. [ Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto ] CONTINUED ON 26 >> OCTOBER 2021

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DAVID POPOVICI / Continued from 25

>> Popovici split 22.97 and 24.33 in his junior-record swim in the 100 free. His closing speed was as good as ever seen in the event. Eventually, that finishing power is likely to be complemented by early speed, the combination leaving Popovici as a major threat to the likes of Caeleb Dressel and Kyle Chalmers...and the 47-second barrier. [ Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto ]

ON THE HORIZON

It is obviously impossible to predict the future, especially what will transpire at the next Olympics. Nonetheless, Popovici is on a trajectory that suggests excellence, and his arc—as noted by Hawke—might be comparable to that of Dutch legend Pieter van den Hoogenband.

At the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, The Flying Dutchman—only 18—just missed the podium in the 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle, placing fourth in both events.

Those performances confirmed Hoogie’s talent, and four years later at the Sydney Games, he was the champion of the 100 free and 200 free and added a bronze medal in the 50 free.

Popovici is moving on from his first Olympics with a pair of finals appearances, including the fourth-place effort in the 200 freestyle. Will he follow van den Hoogenband’s path? He undoubtedly has the ability, and contention for gold at next year’s World Champs in Fukuoka could make Popovici’s return to Japan an enjoyable one.

Yes, it means duels with Dressel and Chalmers, along with Tom Dean and Duncan Scott, the Brits who won gold and silver, respectively, in the 200 freestyle in Tokyo. But Popovici is eager for the challenges that lie ahead.

Among the possibilities for the young Romanian? How about a sub-47 mark in the 100 freestyle and sub-1:44 in the 200 freestyle? The gift for such performances is there. Popovici is slated to race for the New York Breakers in the International Swimming League later this year, and he has not ruled out NCAA competition if the new collegiate NIL rules would allow him eligibility. For all the answers still to come, this much is certain: David Popovici is big-time.

“We have bold plans,” Popovici said.

“I’m not going to go into more detail....

For now, we’re taking little steps, but those little steps will bring us one day to (where we want to be). v

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THE INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING HALL OF FAME IS LOOKING FOR 1,OOO SPECIAL MEMBERS IN THE AQUATICS COMMUNITY

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BASIC DRYLAND TRAINING A concentrated, ongoing strength and conditioning regimen provides a quality supplement to in-pool training, helping swimmers become stronger and faster.

BY MICHAEL J. STOTT

T

his year, the Santa Margarita Catholic High School girls are >> Santa Margarita Catholic High School, Calif. (Pictured: goblet squat) [ Photo courtesy: Ron Blanc ] Swimming World’s independent high school national champions. The boys forearm on ground, right hip on ground, knees bent, small weight are the 2021 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern plate in left hand, left elbow pinned on ribs, do external rotation with Section titlists. Twice a week in-season, the team supplements inleft forward, then switch sides. pool training with hour-long morning workouts. Ron Blanc, co-head 3. Palloff Press (tall kneeling/ISO hold) with bands (15 seconds). coach, hopes—schedules permitting—to increase that frequency in Secure band on rack, kneel and turn perpendicular to bands, hold the school’s 6,000-square-foot weight room to three sessions per arms extended for :15. week.

This last season, Santa Margarita, guided by Ron and his brother SERIES #3 (3x) (also co-head coach), Rich, followed a dryland training schedule that 1. Deadbugs (6x). On back, right arm presses left knee, left elbow to was divided into two four-week rounds. right knee, then extend left arm and right leg, then switch sides.

Says Ron Blanc, “The first session of each round, we taught 2. Scap Dip + Shoulder Tap (6x). Using bench, push-up position technique to the athletes, explained how each exercise would benefit with hands on bench, arms straight, drop chest to bench with no their swimming and typically got in three rounds of each exercise. elbow bend (shoulder blades apart), then raise back (shoulder blades The following morning sessions, we ramped up to four sets of each together), then left hand tap right shoulder, right hand tap left shoulder. exercise. In Round 1, there is a warm-up and three groupings of exercises. In the warm-up, we would do three times of each exercise.

In the three groupings of exercises, we would do four times.

“The focus of each exercise is flawless technique, full range of motion, with a little rest in between exercises. We keep up an intense pace and complete everything within the hour. We did not focus on heavy weights or resistance.”

ROUND 1 (DONE THE FIRST FOUR WEEKS OF THE SEASON) DAY 1 TRI-SET WARM-UP (2x) 1. Hip Hydrants (10x each). Keep back flat, raise leg to side to hip height.

2. Bird Dog (8x). Hip hydrant position, right arm and left leg extended, then left arm and right arm extended.

3. Superman W’s (12x). On stomach, chest off ground, move arms to W shape with elbows bent.

DAY 2 TRI-SET WARM-UP (2x) 1. Cook Bridge (10x). On back, right knee bent, right foot on floor, both hands grab left knee, pull hips up to plank position, then down, then switch.

2. Push-Up Plank to Downward Dog Toe Touch (6x). Start in pushup position. Move to downward dog with butt in air, arms straight, then tap left hand to right foot, tap right hand to left foot.

3. Prone T to S (6x). On stomach on ground, start with arms in T-shape. Then rotate arms behind back to S, then back to T-shape, then switch.

SERIES #1 (3x) 1. Reverse Lunge (8x). Stand straight with weight plates under chin, step back with left leg and squat down until left knee touches ground.

Then return to starting position, legs form 90-degree angles.

SERIES #1 (3x) 1. Goblet Squat (8x). Hold weight plates under chin, squat down until hips are below knees in between heels. Good back, “down-2-34-hold-2-up.”

2. Seated Squat Jump (6x). Sit on end of bench, swing arms down and behind, then explode up and land in trophy position, knees bent.

3. Bird Dog Reverse Side Lift (10x). On ground, hip hydrant position, 2.5 pounds, left leg extended; right arm rises up with weight to shoulder height.

2. Pogo Hops (20x). Bounce off balls of feet quickly and explosively.

SERIES #2 (3x) 1. Waiters Windmill (6x). Right foot pointed straight; left foot pointed 90 degrees out, hold weight plate in right hand, slide left hand down as far to left foot as possible. Keep looking at weight, bend from hips.

2. Modified Side Plank with External Rotation (10x). Right

2. Single-Arm Bent-Over Row (8x). Using bench, left hand on bench, legs shoulder-width apart, good back, right arm holding weight with arm fully extended. Then lift right elbow straight up until weight is at side. Then reverse sides.

3. Plank to Push-up (6x). Start in push-up position with arms extended below shoulders, then right forearm plank, then left forearm plank. Then return to push-up position. Don’t wiggle.

SERIES #2 (3x) 1. Single Leg Bench Bridge (8x). Using bench, place upper back on bench, arms extended to side. Don’t press with elbows—only back, right leg extended, then hips up to plank position and look skyward, then down. Then switch sides.

3. Diagonal Plate Lift (6x). Right knee on ground, left leg 90-degree bent. With left foot on ground, hold weight plate in both hands, go CONTINUED ON 30 >> OCTOBER 2021

SWIMMINGWORLD.COM

29

WEIGHT ROOM

COMMOM SENSE

BY MICHAEL J. STOTT | PHOTOS BY J.R. ROSANIA

Single leg lunge: Be sure the knee is not extended beyond the forward foot. Drop straight down. DO NOT lunge forward.

Then stand up and repeat.

(Pictured: Anna Long, Olympic marathon qualifier)

When performing a deadlift, stress a flat back and stand up throughout the movement.

(Pictured: Mia Rankin, Ohio State freshman swimmer)

When performing a proper lunge, make sure the forward knee does not move past the toe of the forward toes. Move upward and downward as you lunge forward.

(Pictured: Amy Bilquist, 2019 100 meter backstroke national champion)

These “Do’s and Don’ts” are courtesy of exercise scientist J.R. Rosania, whose performance enhancement firm Healthplex serves multisport athletes worldwide. Remember: All swimming and dryland training and instruction should be performed under the supervision of a qualified coach or instructor, and in circumstances that ensure the safety of the participants.

Do’s • When performing a deadlift, stress a flat back throughout the movement and stand up.

• On a single leg lunge, keep the knee short of the forward toes. Drop straight down rather than lunging forward. Stand up and repeat.

• Maintain a vertical body position when pulling, avoiding a swaying motion from side to side. When doing a pull-up, elevate so the chin is equal to or past the bar.

Don’ts • Do one max rep on any exercise. You are a swimmer, not a weightlifter.

• Do not lift right up to a meet. Stop weights 7-10 days out.

• Do not lift if experiencing any joint pain.

TOTAL ACCESS MEMBERS CLICK HERE

TO DOWNLOAD ROUND 2 OF SANTA MARGARITA’S DRYLAND TRAINING SCHEDULE AS WELL AS SOME INSIGHTS FROM OTHER COACHES WHO HAVE MASTERED THE BASICS OF HIGH SCHOOL AND AGE GROUP STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING.

BASIC DRYLAND TRAINING / Continued from 29

from right hip with arms extended, bend elbows and pull weight to chest, then twist and extend weights above left shoulder, keeping eyes on weights.

SERIES #3 (3x) 1. Single-Arm Tricep Extension (10x). Using bench, same stance as single-arm bent-over row, left hand on bench, light weight in right hand, swing right arm with no elbow bend backward to right hip. Hold 2 seconds, then return down, then switch sides.

2. Abs Plate Combo: • Toe Touches (15x). On back, legs together and straight up, hold weight in both hands with arms extended. Raise weights to toes, then back down.

• Russian Twists (10x). Sitting position with knees bent and feet off ground, both hands holding weight plate. Tap weights to right of hips, twist to touch plates to left of hips.

• Prone Plank with Plate on Back (15 seconds). In forearm plank position with weight plate on upper back. *** “Round 2 was a progression of the exercises in Round 1,” says Ron Blanc. “Typically, Round 2 exercises added an extra step or motion to build upon the Round 1 foundations with an increase in weight or difficulty.

“Similar to in-pool swim training, you have to continually build upon what you did from the week/month before, or else the body adjusts to the training and doesn’t get better,” he says. v Michael J. Stott is an ASCA Level 5 coach, golf and swimming writer.

His critically acclaimed coming-of-age golf novel, “Too Much Loft,” was published in June 2021, and is available from Bookbaby.com, Amazon, B&N and book distributors worldwide.

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30

OCTOBER 2021

SWIMMINGWORLD.COM

NUTRITION

KNOW THYSELF

BY DAWN WEATHERWAX, RD, CSSD, LD, ATC, CSCS

A

s athletes begin a new season and set goals, it is important to know their body composition. It is an essential piece of the goal-setting process. Having a certain body-fat-to-muscle-mass ratio is definitely related to athletic performance. The correct portion of muscle mass increases strength, power, agility and speed.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends the following body fat percentages for women and men: CLASSIFICATION Essential Athletes Fitness Acceptable

WOMEN 10-12% 14-20% 21-24% 25-31%

MEN 2-4% 6-13% 14-17% 18-25%

Plus

32% plus

25% plus

However, to gain lean muscle, it is not just about the exercise protocol, but nutritional intake and timing.

Research shows three out of four student-athletes may not be getting enough to eat. It also shows that 70% of the women and 73% of the men are not getting enough total calories...only 81% of the women and 90% of the men are consuming enough carbohydrates... and just 68% of the women and 81% of the men are eating enough protein based on USDA guidelines, NOT athletic guidelines.

Intakes of salt, total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol often exceed recommendations, even in diets deficient in major components.

To help achieve goals, athletes should know their body composition. But body composition is much more than a body fat percentage number. Following are different ways the measurement can be utilized.

Knowing your body fat percentage...

1.

Creates goals for the season: Nutrition and exercise gets adjusted based on future testing outcomes.

2.

Assists in the type of fuel mixture an athlete needs: If an athlete has a higher body fat, they usually need fewer calories and fewer carbohydrates. The opposite is true if the athlete has a low body fat. They usually need more calories and carbohydrates due to more lean weight.

3.

Measures effectiveness of the training and nutrition strategy

4.

Evaluates both lean weight and body fat: Some athletes need to gain muscle, others need to lose body fat, while some need to do both. This gives a scientific approach on where to go. The scale is NOT a good tool. For example, one of my athletes showed after doing a bod pod, they would be better off if they gained eight pounds of muscle and lost five pounds of fat. That’s crazy since they would be weighing three more pounds on the scale.

[PHOTO COURTESY TRANG DOAN/ Pexels ]

Knowing your body composition can help you swim fast and stay healthy.

5.

Provides reassurance when needed: Some athletes believe when they gain weight, they are gaining fat. Athletes can exchange fat at the same rate they gain muscle, so the scale is not displaying the positive exchanges. ***

The best ways to measure body composition are by hydrostatic weighing, Dexa Scan or Bod Pod testing. The next option is In Body. However, many people do not have access or the funds to use these methods.

The next best step is to use tape measurements of eight sites: https:// www.healthstatus.com/calculate/body-fat-percentage-calculator/. It is easy to use, easy to learn and very affordable. However, you want to make sure you take the time and follow strict protocols to ensure accuracy.

Body composition should always be used in a positive way. It is knowledge and scientific. A medical professional should be the one measuring and assimilating the information to the athlete. Coaches should not give blanket body composition goals or using body composition goals as a pre-requirement. Most athletes have no idea what their body composition is or how to get there.

To achieve ideal body composition numbers, here is some critical nutritional information to remember: 1.

Eat enough: It’s hard to have an optimal body composition if the body thinks it is starving. This eventually leads to a higher body fat or impedes putting on lean weight.

2.

Quality of food: Just calorie-counting or eating whatever you desire will not work to achieve optimal lean-weight-to-bodyfat ratios. Here are some helpful tips: • Eat enough protein throughout the day.

• Keep added sugar to less than 30g a day (excluding sports drinks around activity and post-recovery snack/meal).

• Aim for 25-40g of fiber a day.

• Aim for three to six whole fruits and three to seven nonstarchy veggies a day.

• Log onto Cronometer for assistance with these goals.

3.

Hydrate: Proper hydration maximizes burning fat and building muscle: • Aim for half your weight in fluid ounces a day plus fluid lost CONTINUED ON 32 >> OCTOBER 2021

SWIMMINGWORLD.COM

31

NUTRITION / Continued from 31

4.

One size does not fit all: Everyone is different, even within a family. Do best to find the ideal ratios of carbohydrates, fats and proteins for you. Seek out a professional for scientific guidance—not social media without medical backgrounds.

5.

Sleep: Sleep is when you recover and repair. Sleep needs range from eight to 11 hours a night, depending on age and activity.

*** Body composition testing is not just about measuring fat. It can be a very effective tool for menu planning, monitoring progress, improving current athletic status, offering encouragement and finding irregularities in behavior. Now, that is a tool for athletic success!

Please find the 3,000-3,500-calorie menu to help guide you to achieve ideal body composition. Remember: It is only a guide and likely needs to be customized to fit your needs.

3,000 to 3,500-CALORIE TRAINING MENU Pre-Swim Practice (4:30-5:15 a.m.)

Overnight Breakfast Delight: 1 cup Cooked quinoa 1-1/2 cups Unsweeted coconut milk/rice/soy/cow’s milk/almond 2T Vanilla protein powder (more if needed) 2T Chia seeds 1 tsp Vanilla 1 tsp Cinnamon 1 Apple (chopped) 16 oz Water (with one NUUN electrolyte tablet/optional) Multi-vitatmin and mineral supplement Fish oil Vit D3 Training (5:30-6:45 a.m.)

4-16 oz Water an hour (amount needed depends on sweat rate) Breakfast (6-7:30 a.m.)

Pear-nutty English sandwich: 1-2 Dave’s Killer English Muffin 1/2-1 cup Ricotta cheese 1 Pear 1/2-1 tsp Cinnamon 2-4 T Chopped walnuts 16 oz Water Lunch (11 a.m.-12:45 p.m.)

1 whole Pita bread 3-5 oz Rotisserie chicken 1-2 T Organic mayo all flavors 1 cup Sliced cucumbers 1 cup Grapes 1 Orange 1/4 cup Salted sunflower seeds 16 oz Water with cucumbers Afternoon Snack (2-3:30 p.m.)

3-5 oz Organic jerky Trailmix: 1/8-1/4 cup Cashews 1/8-1/4 cup Pepita seeds 32

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[PHOTO COURTESY NATHAN COWLEY/ Pexels ]

during activity.

3 1 oz 1T 16 oz

Dried apricots Dried mango or 1-2 cups Chex rice cereal Cacao nibs (optional) Water (with one NUUN electrolyte tablet/optional)

Training (3:30-5:30 p.m.)

10-20 oz Water an hour (with one NUUN electrolyte tablet/optional per 20 oz) Post-recovery within 30-45 min: 1-2 servings PopCorners Flex Chips (If you can have dinner within that time, then no need for this snack) Evening Meal (6-7 p.m.)

1-2 cups Edamame in salted pods or 3-5 oz organic lean-cooked ground turkey 2-4 cups Arugula 1-2 cups Cooked linguini with 1 T olive oil (add 1-2 T roasted garlic/optional) 1-2 T Parmesan cheese 1-2 T Pine nuts 16 oz Water Evening Snack (8-10 p.m.)

1 cup Plain Greek yogurt or Kate Hills Greek vegan yogurt 1 Chopped pear 1-2 tsp Cinnamon 1-2 T Seeds/nuts/peanuts v Dawn Weatherwax (RD, CSSD, LD, ATC, CSCS) is a registered/ licensed dietitian with a specialty in sports nutrition and founder of Sports Nutrition 2Go. She is also a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, which is the premier professional sports nutrition credential in the United States. In addition, she is an athletic trainer with a certification in strength and conditioning from The National Strength and Conditioning Association, and she is CEO of Dawn Weatherwax’s Sports Nutrition Academy.

Weatherwax brings a comprehensive and unique understanding of the athlete’s body—and its nutritional needs—to those interested in achieving specific performance goals and optimal health. She is also the author of “The Official Snack Guide for Beleaguered Sports Parents,” “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Sports Nutrition” and “The Sports Nutrition Guide for Young Athletes.”

TOTAL ACCESS MEMBERS CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE REFERENCES FOR THIS ARTICLE. NOT A TOTAL ACCESS MEMBER? YOU’RE JUST A CLICK AWAY: SWIMMINGWORLD.COM/VAULT

TRAINING

DRYSIDE TRAINING

BACK TO BASICS (Part 1)

BY J.R. ROSANIA • DEMONSTRATED BY NORIKO INADA • PHOTOS BY EMMI BRYTOWSKI

2

W

ith the Olympic Games behind us and with high school, collegiate and international seasons picking up, it’s time to get back to the basics with our dryland training.

In this two-part series, we will address beginning basic movements to help strength development. Next month, we will look at more advanced strength and power movements.

It’s very important to develop a base of strength and stability throughout your body to help you withstand the rigors of six to eight months of hard training and racing.

This month’s article takes a look at several multi-muscle functional movements. These exercises provide strength in the upper body and lower body as well as stability throughout the core.

During this phase of the training, perform these exercises three times a week, completing each one for three sets of 10 repetitions. Keep the weight moderate, and be sure to be able to complete all 30 reps. Have fun getting back to the basics.v

3

1) STABILITY BALL PUSH-UPS While facing down with your hands on the floor, position your shins on top of a stability ball and perform push-ups.

2) BENT-OVER DUMBBELL ROW Standing with a dumbbell in each hand, bend over 90 degrees with your chest parallel to the ground, and perform an alternating row movement.

3) DUMBBELL SQUAT WITH WEIGHTS AT THE SHOULDERS While holding a dumbbell with each hand at shoulder height, perform a squat movement.

4) DUMBBELL PRONE FLY Standing with a dumbbell in each hand, bend over 90 degrees with your chest parallel to the ground, and perform a butterfly movement with your arms stretched out horizontally.

4

5) STEP-UP WITH A DUMBBELL SHOULDER PRESS Standing with a dumbbell in your left hand at a 90-degree angle (and holding a dumbbell with your right hand at your side), step up with your right leg on a box/platform that is 10 to 12 inches high. Perform an overhead press with your left arm and raise your left leg to a 90-degree angle. Alternate legs and arms.

1 5

MEET THE TRAINER J.R. Rosania, B.S., exercise science, is one of the nation’s top performance enhancement coaches. He is the owner and CEO of Healthplex, LLC, in Phoenix.

Check out Rosania’s website at www.jrhealthplex.net.

MEET THE ATHLETE Noriko Inada, 43, swam for Japan at the 1992, 2000 and 2004 Olympics. She now swims Masters for Phoenix Swim Club, and owns Masters world records in the women’s 25-29, 30-34, 3539 and 40-44 age groups.

NOTICE All swimming and dryland training and instruction should be performed under the supervision of a qualified coach or instructor, and in circumstances that ensure the safety of participants.

OCTOBER 2021

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33

COACHING

SWIMMING TECHNIQUE CONCEPTS

BY ROD HAVRILUK , Ph.D.

MAXIMIZING SWIMMING VELOCITY (Part 5):

MINIMIZING THE ARM RECOVERY PHASE

A

s shown in a previous “Swimming Technique Concepts” article (SW June 2021), when swimming velocity increases, the time of all four stroke cycle phases decreases. The greatest possible time decreases for additional swimming velocity increases are in the non-propulsive phases (entry and recovery). Strategies to minimize the entry phase were covered in previous articles (SW July and August 2021). This article includes strategies to minimize the recovery phase time of all four strokes.

RECOVERY PHASE The recovery phase time at sprint speed is shown for elite male swimmers in Fig. 1 for butterfly (Seifert, Delignieres, Boulesteix & Chollet, 2007), backstroke (Chollet, Seifert & Carter, 2008), breaststroke (Leblanc, Seifert, Baudry & Chollet, 2005) and freestyle (Seifert, Chollet & Bardy, 2004).

The graph shows that recovery time varied from less than 3-tenths of a second (for butterfly) to more than 6-tenths of a second (for backstroke).

FIG. 1 > Recovery phase time for elite male swimmers at sprint speed for all four competitive strokes.

BUTTERFLY As shown in Fig. 1, butterflyers had the shortest recovery time. This is not surprising, when considering the incentive to recover fast due to the loss of buoyancy (see Fig. 2).

According to Archimedes’ principle, buoyant force depends on the weight of the displaced water, which, in turn, depends on the volume of the body below the surface.

When multiple body segments (i.e., head, arms and part of the torso for about onethird of the body volume) are elevated above the surface, there is a considerable FIG. 2 > Butterflyers have an incentive to recover the arms quickly to submerge body segments and regain loss in buoyant force. In response, the buoyancy. body quickly sinks (i.e., submerges body volume) to regain buoyancy. Consequently, The resulting position typically requires 3-tenths of a second for a butterflyer has an incentive for a fast arm recovery to regain a backstroker to move the hand from the finish of the push to the buoyancy and an effective body position. surface of the water and then another 3-tenths of a second to move the arm through the air and back into the water. Most backstrokers BACKSTROKE can substantially decrease their recovery time by finishing the push As shown in Fig. 1, backstrokers had the longest recovery time. phase fairly close to the hip (as shown by the green circle in Fig. 3).

The time was more than 6-tenths of a second and about double the time for any of the other three strokes. A common reason for the long BREASTSTROKE recovery time is that backstrokers often finish the push phase below and/or to the side of the hip (as shown by the red circle in Fig. 3).

The breaststroke recovery time is often longer than necessary 34

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FIG. 3 > In the left image, the backstroker’s hand is at the finish of the push phase (red circle). The hand is below and to the side of an optimal position (green circle). He then required almost 3-tenths of a second to bring the hand to the surface (right image).

when a swimmer recovers the hands above the surface. The model in Fig. 4 shows a longer hand path (and longer recovery time) for a recovery above the surface as opposed to below the surface.

Breaststrokers can minimize the recovery time by moving the hands underwater into the streamline position.

FIG. 4 > The hand path for an above-surface recovery (red arrow) is about oneand-a-half times the distance for a below-surface recovery (green arrow).

FREESTYLE In freestyle, swimmers typically move the recovery arm above the surface at the same speed as the arm below the surface (see Fig. 5, top image). However, the arm above the surface is moving through air (with minimal resistance) as opposed to the arm below the surface moving through water (with considerable resistance). It is possible for swimmers to reduce the recovery time by moving the recovery arm faster than the other arm (bottom image). v Dr. Rod Havriluk is a sport scientist and consultant who specializes in swimming technique instruction and analysis. His newest ebooks in the “Approaching Perfect Swimming” series are “Optimal Stroke Technique” and “Swimming Without Pain,” and are available at swimmingtechnology.com. Contact Rod through info@swimmingtechnology.com. All scientific documentation relating to this article, including scientific principles, studies and research papers, can be provided upon demand.

SUMMARY

Decreasing the time for the non-propulsive recovery phase results in a decrease in the time for a stroke cycle, an increase in stroke rate and an increase in swimming velocity. While there is the potential for minimizing the time of the recovery phase in all four strokes, there is the greatest potential in backstroke.

FIG. 5 > In the bottom image, the left arm recovered faster than in the top image to decrease the stroke cycle time.

TOTAL ACCESS MEMBERS CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE REFERENCES FOR THIS ARTICLE. NOT A TOTAL ACCESS MEMBER? YOU’RE JUST A CLICK AWAY: SWIMMINGWORLD.COM/VAULT

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35

SWIMMING WORLD PRESENTS

2021 PREP SCHOOL

DIRECTORY The listings on pages 36-43 are paid advertisements

Baylor School College Preparatory, Coed Boarding and Day Grades 6-12 • Enrollment: 1,070 171 Baylor School Rd. • Chattanooga, TN 37405 Coach: Dan Flack Phone: 423-267-8506 x 279 Email: dflack@baylorschool.org Website: www.baylorswimming.org • www.baylorschool.org Twitter: @baylorswimming • @baylorschool Facebook: www.facebook.com/BaylorSwimming Instagram: @baylorswimming Swimming World Magazine’s 2009, 2011 and 2012 Girls’ National High School Champions 2008, 2009 and 2018 Boys’ Independent School Champions

For more than 100 years, Baylor School has been one of the leading college preparatory schools in the United States.

Located on a spectacular 670-acre campus, Baylor provides a challenging curriculum, featuring small classes and 19 AP courses.

Our swimming program produced an Olympic Gold Medalist, NCAA Champions, U.S. National Junior team members, numerous country’s National Team members and High School All-Americans. Our swim teams won 50 Tennessee State Championships. Thirteen Baylor students competed in the 2011, ’13, ’15 and ’17 World Junior Championships, and alums competed in the World University Games and World Championships. Baylor graduates have gone on to attend top universities and have thrived academically.

Baylor’s state-of-the-art Aquatic Center features a 50-meter by 25-yard pool and a $1.2 million sports performance center.

Head Coach Dan Flack has been named either Tennessee Men’s or Tennessee Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year 36

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15 times since 2006, coached Team USA at the 2011 and 2017 World Junior Championships, was Head Coach of Team USA at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in 2018, and is one of a small list of high school coaches on the USA National Team Coaches list.

See display ad on page 37.

The Bolles School College Preparatory, Coed Boarding and Day Grades PK-12 • Enrollment: 1,600 7400 San Jose Blvd. • Jacksonville, FL 32217 Coach: Peter Verhoef Phone: 904-256-5216 Email: verhoefp@bolles.org Website: www.bolles.org The Bolles School is an independent, coeducational day and boarding college preparatory school founded in 1933.

Bolles enrolls 1,700 students in grades Pre-K through 12 on four separate campuses. The Bolles Resident Life program enrolls students from around the world in grades 9-12.

The Bolles swimming program has a long history of outstanding success from youth through Olympic levels.

Bolles and its year-round United States Swimming program, the Bolles Sharks, have developed many nationally and world-ranked swimmers, including 63 Olympians since 1972, earning 29 medals. Bolles girls’ swimming has claimed 30 consecutive state titles and 34 titles overall, while Bolles boys’ swimming has achieved a U.S. record 33 consecutive state titles and 42 titles overall.

The program facilitates training and stroke instruction in Bolles’ 50-meter and 25-yard pools, as well as the Aquatic Center with dryland and weight training equipment.

See display ad on page 38.

Fork Union Military Academy College Preparatory, Boys Boarding Grades 7-12/Postgraduate • Enrollment: 300 P.O. Box 278 • Fork Union, VA 23055 Director of Admissions: Jackie Montero-Sharpe Phone: 434-842-4205 Head Swim Coach: Jon B. Larson Phone: 434-842-4210 Email: LarsonJ@fuma.org Website: www.forkunion.com Fork Union Military Academy is one of the premier college preparatory schools in the country. Founded in 1898, the school has a tradition of educating young men in “Body, Mind and Spirit.”

The Academy is located in Central Virginia near the town of Charlottesville and the University of Virginia. FUMA has been nationally recognized as a sports powerhouse, producing multiple Olympians, two Heisman trophy winners and over 150 professional football, basketball and baseball players.

Our Swimming & Diving program has produced athletes

2021 PREP SCHOOL DIRECTORY

who have gone on to swim at some of the nation’s best college programs. FUMA alumnus, Ali Khalafalla, competed for Egypt in both the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Starting in 2016-17, Fork Union Military Academy expanded their swimming program to include postgraduates who are looking to improve academically or just get stronger and faster in the water before attending college. Like their high school program, postgraduate students participate in the One Subject Plan, where students take one subject at a time over seven-week terms throughout the year.

In addition to this, they have access to SAT/ACT prep courses and college credit courses through advanced placement (AP) courses, dual enrollment courses taught with PVCC (a local community college). This academic approach, along with the discipline and structure it provides, helps students not only achieve academically, but also athletically, helping instill self-discipline, character and time management.

From a swimming standpoint, swimmers will have access to between 9 and 11 training sessions a week, competing at USA Swimming-sanctioned meets throughout the year to include Winter Nationals, Winter Junior Nationals and Speedo Sectionals.

Their program and school have a long history of developing young men of character both in and out of the pool. Swimmers train in a state-of-the-art, multi-million-dollar, 8-lane-by25-meter indoor pool that was built in 2006. In addition to the pool, they also have access to the best in athletic training

staff and dryland equipment, whether it is on our pool deck or in one of the weight/cardio rooms.

This is the setting that they have used to help produce four high school state championships in the past seven years, over 40 High School All-Americans and countless others who have gone on to swim at national and international meets, including the World Championships as well as the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

See display ad on page 39.

Gulliver Preparatory School Miami, Fla. College Preparatory, Coed Day Grades PK-12 • Enrollment: 2,200 (3 campuses) Upper School Campus • 6575 North Kendall Dr. • Pinecrest, FL 33156 Director of Enrollment Management: Elena Castellanos Email: admissions@gulliverprep.org Head Coach/Director of Aquatics: Christopher George Phone: 305-666-7937 x 1552 Email: cgeorge@gulliverprep.org Website: www.gulliverprep.org Gulliver Preparatory School is a 501(c)(3) private, nonprofit, independent coeducational, nonsectarian day school with the mission to create an academic community devoted

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Academics, Arts, Athletics and Activities for All. BOARDING AND STUDYING WITH STUDENTS OF ALL FAITHS, CULTURES AND BACKGROUNDS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD.

Students Discover Their Passions, Learn and Grow—All at Bolles.

Bolles.org Pre-K through Grade 12, Day & Boarding School.

2021 PREP SCHOOL DIRECTORY / Continued from 37

to educational excellence, with a personal touch, that fulfills each student’s potential.

Located in Miami, the school provides a challenging academic curriculum featuring a wide variety of electives, AP and Honors courses and the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme. A Gulliver Prep education combines the best of the traditional college preparatory curriculum with 21st century approaches to teaching and learning. From PK through senior year, students learn to be informed, engaged and critically perceptive.

Gulliver Prep’s Aquatic Center is a premier training and competition facility with a state-of-the-art Olympic-size pool.

The school’s swim teams and year-round USA Swimming program, the Gulliver Swim Club, are guided by Christopher George. Gulliver’s girls’ swim team won five straight 2A Florida State Championships from 2014-18, and the boys’ swim team captured the state title in 2016 for the first time in program history.

Home to 1984 Olympic silver medalist Michele Richardson (’87) and 2003 Pan Am Games medalist Christina Swindle (’03), Gulliver boasts aquatics graduates who have gone on to compete at respected institutions such as the University of Florida, Vanderbilt and Harvard, and alumna Kelly Fertel (’16) swam professionally for the Cali Condors.

Since 2011, the girls’ swim team has recorded 32 individual state titles, while the boys’ swim team has amassed 20 individual state championships. Established in 2011, the Gulliver Swim Club is consistently ranked as a top team in South Florida.

See display ad on page 40.

McDonogh School College Preparatory, Coed Day and 5-Day Boarding Grades PK-12 • Enrollment: 1,450 8600 McDonogh Rd. • Owings Mills, MD 21117 Director of Enrollment Management: Steve Birdsall Phone: 443-544-7021 Email: sbirdsall@mcdonogh.org Website: www.mcdonogh.org Aquatic Director: Scott Ward Phone: 443-544-7161 Email: sward@mcdonogh.org On 800 rolling acres in a suburb north of Baltimore, McDonogh School is a vibrant, diverse, family-like academic community. Students are inspired regularly by talented, caring teachers and achievement-oriented classmates.

Opportunities abound in academics, arts, athletics and service. A five-day boarding program is an appealing option for swimmers with early morning practices.

The Henry A. Rosenberg Jr. Aquatic Center, built in 2006, includes an indoor eight-lane, 50-meter pool that is home to boys’ and girls’ swim teams and coed water polo teams. Since 2003, the girls’ squad has won 14 league championships, and the boys have won league championships in 2012, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Additionally, water polo earned a league championship in 2018.

McDonogh swimmers have risen to the top of the sport.

Fork Union Military Academy

Ali Khalafalla FUMA Class of 2014 Indiana University Class of 2018 2016 Olympics in Rio (Team Egypt) 2020 Olympics in Tokyo (Team Egypt) forkunion.com/swimming FUMA_SwimmingWorld_HalfPage_SEP2021.indd 1

Fork Union Military Academy is a top college prep school for student athletes who are serious about their sport and their studies, FUMA has produced worldclass talent for decades.

Olympians, NBA players, NFL stars (including Heisman Trophy winners Vinny Testaverde and Eddie George), and many more have chosen to prepare for college by attending FUMA. We send more than three dozen athletes to Division I college programs on scholarship each year, and have a long history of helping young men develop in body, mind, and spirit.

Come train in our $4 million aquatic center and be part of a winning team.

Boys, Grades 7–12 and Postgraduate CONTINUED ON 40 >> 8/27/2021 1:21:25 PM

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2021 PREP SCHOOL DIRECTORY / Continued from 39

Since 2000, the boys’ and girls’ teams have had 54 individual High School All-Americans, totaling 179 All-America performances. Recent graduates have contributed to top collegiate programs, including Harvard, Stanford, Arizona, Auburn, Georgia, Purdue, Columbia, Johns Hopkins and the U.S. Naval Academy. In 2009, one alum set a national high school prep record and later went on to win a gold medal at the 2015 Pan American Games in record time. Most recently, five alumni participated in the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Trials.

Upper School tuition for day students is $34,700; $46,600 for five-day boarding. In 2021, McDonogh awarded more than $6.3 million in need-based financial aid.

Mercersburg Academy College Preparatory, Coed Boarding and Day Grades 9-12/Postgraduate • Enrollment: 446 100 Academy Dr. • Mercersburg, PA 17236 Head Swim Coach: Glenn Neufeld Phone: 717-328-6368 Email: neufeldg@mercersburg.edu Phone (Admission): 717-328-6173 Email: admission@mercersburg.edu Website: www.mercersburg.edu Swimming at Mercersburg Academy has an enduring tradition of excellence. The program has fielded 31 Olympians, including five gold medalists. Head coach and former YMCA National Coach of the Year Glenn Neufeld leads a program that has produced numerous prep school All-Americans,

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and has sent countless swimmers to compete at top colleges and universities. The school’s athletic complex features the new Lloyd Aquatic Center with an Olympic-size 50-meter pool and diving area. Mercersburg also operates summer swim clinics for ages 8-17.

Founded in 1893 in southern Pennsylvania, Mercersburg Academy gives students in grades 9-12 and postgraduates the opportunity to live and learn in a diverse environment that’s home to young people from 29 states and 36 countries. With a 300-acre campus, 153 academic courses, 27 varsity sports, a robust arts program and $8 million in annual financial aid, Mercersburg is within easy reach of Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

See display ad on page 41.

Peddie School College Preparatory, Coed Boarding and Day Grades 9-12/Postgraduate • Enrollment: 550 201 South Main St. • Hightstown, NJ 08520 Director of Admission: Molly Dunne Phone: 609-944-7501 Fax: 609-944-7911 Email: admission@peddie.org Director of Competitive Swimming: Emmett Walling Email: ewalling@peddie.org Website: www.peddie.org Founded in 1864, Peddie School surrounds Peddie Lake on a beautiful 230-acre campus minutes from Princeton, midway between New York City and Philadelphia.

Known nationally for its academic excellence and strong

CONTINUED ON 42 >>

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SWIMMER AT

THE DAY BEGINS

1

BREAKFAST Enjoy breakfast offerings like omelets made to order, hot and cold cereals, fresh fruit, and a waffle bar.

Wake up at 6:30 a.m. and head to the Lloyd Aquatic Center or the McDowell Fitness Center to work out from 6:45 to 7:45 a.m.

2 3

MORNING CLASSES Take your pick of more than 150 courses across eight academic departments.

4

HELP PERIOD Use this built-in time between morning classes to meet with your teachers or adviser group, get help with your coursework, or just relax.

AFTERNOON CLASSES After two more classes, the school day ends.

A 30-minute break gives you time to grab a snack before heading back to the pool.

6

5

LUNCH Family-style lunch is a Mercersburg tradition, and it gives you the chance to meet new peers and faculty throughout the school year.

8

7

PGA Swimming practice is typically held from 4 to 6 p.m. in our 50-meter Olympic-size pool and diving area.

DINNER AND FREE TIME Dinner is served family style or buffet, depending on the evening. Hang out afterward in the Simon Student Center or get a head start on homework.

QUIET HOURS AND STUDY TIME 9

9th–11th graders must sign in to their dorms by 8 p.m. but may sign out to visit the library. Final dorm sign-in for all students is 10 p.m.

mercersburg.edu/swim MERCERSBURG, PA | FOUNDED IN 1893 | GRADES 9-12 | COED BOARDING AND DAY

DEFINE YOURSELF

2021 PREP SCHOOL DIRECTORY / Continued from 40

sense of community, Peddie’s talented faculty is highly accessible, and its technology unsurpassed. The average class size is 12, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 6:1.

Peddie’s student body represents 24 states as well as 34 foreign countries.

A perennial national power, Peddie swimming has been represented at the Olympics in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012. In addition to swimming on the world stage, Peddie School has consistently ranked at the top of Swimming World’s National High School Mythicals, with its boys placing sixth nationally in 2018 (and third among independent schools)!

Graduating swimmers have gone on to Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Stanford, Northwestern, Kenyon, Denison and ASU, among many others.

Peddie’s substantial endowment provides need-based financial aid for roughly 40% of its students.

See display ad on page 42.

Phillips Academy College Preparatory, Coed Boarding and Day Grades 9-12/Postgraduate • Enrollment: 1,191 Founded in 1778 180 Main St. • Andover, MA 01810

With its expansive worldview, legacy of academic excellence and commitment to equity and inclusion, Phillips Academy, known globally as “Andover,” offers extraordinary opportunities to the student-athlete.

Supported by remarkable financial resources, the school is able to admit students on a need-blind basis—without regard to a family’s ability to pay tuition. Accordingly, 47% of students receive scholarship support from an annual financial-aid budget of more than $23 million.

Andover student-athletes immerse themselves in a broad, deep and always evolving curriculum that contains more than 300 college-preparatory courses, including more than 150 electives, many of which are college-level.

Within this rigorous academic environment, Andover’s Swimming & Diving program enjoys great success on Eastern, national and international stages.

Since its first meet in 1912, Andover has produced multiple Olympians—including most recently in Tokyo, Lindi Schroeder (’20) and Andrew Wilson (’12)—as well as more than 170 All-Americans and numerous national record holders.

In just the last 10 years, Andover swimmers and divers have competed for schools such as Brown, Emory, Harvard, MIT, Penn, Princeton, Texas, USC, Williams and Yale.

See display ad on page 43. 

Boys’ Coach: David Fox Email: dfox@andover.edu Girls’ Coach: Paul Murphy Email: pmurphy@andover.edu Website: www.andover.edu

To view our Prep School Directory online, please visit our website at: www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/prep-school-directory/

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Peddie swimming has produced Olympic gold medalists, national champions, National Junior Team members and numerous high school All-Americans while providing each student-athlete a first-class education.

An eight-time High School National Championship Team, Peddie swimming has been represented in six out of the last eight Olympic Games.

Recently graduated swimmers have gone on to Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Brown, Stanford, The University of Pennsylvania and Northwestern.

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The End Depends On The Beginning

• Eastern and New England Team Champions • Olympians • All-Americans • National, Eastern, and New England Record Holders • Represented USA at World Schools Championships in Rio

www.andover.edu

9/1/2021

IMG-1884.jpg JUNIOR SWIMMER

UP & COMERS AGE GROUP SWIMMER OF THE MONTH

BY SHOSHANNA RUTEMILLER | PHOTO BY KEN BARCINAS

F

ifteen-year-old Maryjane (MJ) Neilson is tearing up the pool! The newly aged-up Phoenix Swim Club athlete achieved high-point honors this summer at the Arizona Long Course Age Group Championships. She took home gold in the 400 meter freestyle (4:29.82), 100-200 butterfly (1:03.12, 2:20.22) and 200 IM (2:26.53). She also placed second in the 400 IM (5:14.33) and third in the 100 freestyle (59.96).

This isn’t the first time this versatile swimmer has topped the podium. Neilson hasn’t lost the 100 butterfly at the last four Arizona Age Group Championships!

Even though butterfly is her self-proclaimed “best thing she does in swimming,” the medals she’s won in freestyle and IM also speak for themselves.

But swimming fast isn’t the only thing Neilson does at meets. She has a passion for singing and has sung the national anthem before swim meets. In her free time, she volunteers by serving food and care packages to the homeless. She has also coached young swimmers in the YMCA summer recreation league!

WHAT IS THE BEST THING YOU DO IN SWIMMING?

Swimming butterfly is probably what I do best. It is my best stroke, with the 200 fly being one of my best—and favorite—events. I have always loved swimming butterfly, and it was one of the first strokes that I learned. The movement just seemed to feel natural for me.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TOUGHEST WORKOUTS/SETS YOU’VE DONE?

A set that really sticks in my head is one that now doesn’t seem so tough, but at the time was really challenging. It was shortly after moving up to a higher training group and getting used to being back in the water after the COVID shutdown. It started with 8 x 175 on 2:15 best stroke (fly), holding your best 200 SCY time, which for me at that time was 2:06-mid. I ended up surprising myself by holding mostly 2:03s.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT SWIMMING?

I love how it provides the opportunity to meet many different people from teams all over the country. I have made so many great friends through swimming. Some of my best friends swim on different teams, live in other states, and have been—and are still—some of my toughest competitors.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS YEAR?

Having a more normal high school experience. I spent my entire freshman year at home, online because of COVID. I have been back to school in-person so far this year, and I love it.

WHO IS SOMEONE YOU LOOK UP TO IN SWIMMING...

AND WHY?

I really look up to Hali Flickinger. Some of her best events are some of the biggest “beasts” in swimming—the 2Fly and 4IM. It takes intense effort, focus and challenging training sets to develop the power and endurance to make up for the height advantage taller swimmers have. I feel like I have to train and compete harder and stronger, stroke for stroke, compared to my taller peers.

Hali inspires me because of what she has been able to accomplish in her swimming career. She is proof that you don’t have to be the tallest one on the block to be an elite swimmer, make the Olympic team, stand on the podium, and come home with medals. I’d love to meet her and try a 200 fly set with her. It would be an honor just to swim next to her!

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES? I love doing nails—mine and my friends. Gel and dip are my favorite. I also love playing with my golden retriever, Phoebe, and competing—in anything—with my twin brother, Teddy. 44

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COACHING

BLANC

Q&A [Photos Courtesy Santa Margarita Catholic High School ]

RON & RICH

Since 1996, brothers Ron and Rich Blanc have guided the Santa Margarita Catholic High School swim and dive program to unprecedented success. In 2017, they were named NISCA Outstanding Service Award winners.

BY MICHAEL J. STOTT

Q. SWIMMING WORLD: How did you two get into aquatics?

A. COACHES BLANC: We were told by our learn-to-swim swimming instructor that we could be very successful swimmers.

Her encouragement was invaluable.

SW: And then into coaching?

CB: We fell in love with both swimming and water polo. Once our athletic careers ended, we wanted to stay involved. Coaching was a great way to do that. As swimmers, we learned self-confidence, time management skills and to be great teammates. We wanted to pay those life skills forward by giving our swimmers the same opportunities.

SW: Any seminal influences?

CB: Our Orange Coast College coach, Don Watson, was a great influence. Among other things, he showed us how to be part of a team. A great testimony to him is that at some point more than 10 of our college teammates went on to become swim coaches. As for us, we have coached together for our entire coaching careers.

SW: Why high school coaching as opposed to club or college?

CB: We started by going back to our alma mater, Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, Calif.), which needed a swim coach. We thought we could make a difference there, especially with the high school kids. After the first season, we fell in love with high school coaching, felt needed and just remained there. We both got jobs in secondary education as teachers and administrators, so we also enjoy the high school experience in other capacities as well.

Coaching in college is still a possibility. For seven summers, we coached a club team and enjoyed that very much.

Coach Ron Blanc

Coach Rich Blanc

Co-head Swimming and Diving Coach Santa Margarita Catholic High School

Co-head Swimming and Diving Coach /Aquatics Manager Santa Margarita Catholic High School

Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.

• California State University

Fullerton, B.S., business administration and accounting, 1990; California State University Long Beach, M.B.A., marketing, 1993; Loyola-Marymount University, M.A., Catholic School Administration, 2009

• Co-head swim coach, SMCHS, 1998-present; assistant coach, 1996-97

• Head swim coach, Mater Dei

High School, 1989-95—won California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section title in 1990; assistant coach, 1988

Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.

• California State University

Fullerton, B.S., business administration and accounting, 1990; California State University Long Beach, M.B.A., marketing, 1993; Loyola-Marymount University, M.A., Catholic School Administration, 2009

• Co-head swim coach, SMCHS, 1996-present

• Head swim coach, Mater

Dei, 1989-95; won California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section title in 1990; assistant coach, 1988

• Coached 94 high school All-

• Coached 94 high school All-

• Named National High School

• Coached SMCHS varsity girls 25

Americans and 390 All-CIF swimmers

Coaches Association Coach of the Year, 2014

• Named Southern California and Orange County Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2017

Americans and 390 All-CIF swimmers years, boys 23

• Named National High School

Coaches Association Coach of the Year, 2014

• NISCA Outstanding Service

• Named Southern California and

• NISCA Zone 7 director • ASCA Level 5 coach • Author of 80-page SMCHS

• NISCA Outstanding Service

SW: To what do you attribute your unqualified success at Santa Margarita?

CB: Having an amazing talent like Katie McLaughlin and a beautiful 50-meter pool certainly doesn’t hurt, but we were coaching long before those two arrived. We began as head coaches back in 1989 and at SM together in 1998, and we have had success building programs along the way.

The championships have been a byproduct of making a difference in the lives of our students. The saying, “Kids don’t care how much you know until they know that you care,” has been the driving force of our coaching careers.

shortened season was our deepest and most talented team ever.

How the kids handled the disappointment of not getting the chance to make a run for the national title and the strength of their character in face of that situation makes the team even more memorable.

SW: You’ve had some very good teams at Santa Margarita over the years. Your 2017 girls’ squad was the independent school national high school team of the year. Were they your best ever?

CB: We finished first this year for girls in the Swimming World National High School Championships for independent schools and fourth overall. However, the 2020 team operating in the COVID-

SW: In the early 1960s, Nort Thornton’s Los Altos and Dave Robertson’s New Trier teams used to eye each other from afar.

Do you consciously measure yourselves against Carmel, Bolles and the other powerhouse U.S. high school teams?

CB: As we go through our season goals at our annual team retreat, we always bring up the results of amazing high school programs

Award recipient, 2017

Orange County Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2017 Award recipient, 2017

media guide

CONTINUED ON 47 >> OCTOBER 2021

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PROGRESSION OF TIMES MAGGIE McGUIRE

SCY 2018 2019 2020 2021 100 Back 58.03 56.17 55.51 55.15 200 Back 2:06.77 1:59.14 1:57.07 1:58.90 200 IM 2:14.07 2:07.99 2:20.29 2:05.12 [Photos Courtesy Santa Margarita Catholic High School ]

LC 1:04.70 1:04.74 1:04.16 1:03.36 100 Back 200 Back 2:18.21 2:17.01 2:16.63 2:16.76 200 IM 2:28.22 2:27.02 —

2:25.81

PROGRESSION OF TIMES JACK NUGENT

HOW THEY TRAIN

MAGGIE McGUIRE & JACK NUGENT

BY MICHAEL J. STOTT

T

eammates Maggie McGuire and Jack Nugent are poised to continue Santa Margarita Catholic High School’s impressive Trinity League and California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section success. Both have strong club training backgrounds: McGuire at Socal Aquatics and Nugent with Evolution Racing Club. SMCHS has been a lucky beneficiary.

Maggie McGuire: A backstroke/ distance/IM specialist, the 5-10 McGuire is the 14th-ranked Golden State female in the Class of 2023 (114th nationally) by collegeswimming.com (swimcloud).

Additionally, she is a two-time NISCA AllAmerican in the 100 yard back (55.15, 47th) and 500 free (4:56.13, 62nd).

“Maggie comes from an athletic family (dad MLB, mom swimming, brother collegiate baseball) and possesses a strong work ethic,” says Ron Blanc. “A highly skilled technician, her years of swim training have produced an efficient freestyle, smooth backstroke and an improving IM.” McGuire gained her first junior cuts in 2018 and has performed well in Junior National and U.S. Open competitions when held. “Regrettably, the COVID lockdowns interrupted her rapid progress, but now she is regaining her speed and confidence. Her return to form resulted in her first individual CIF Southern Section title in the 100 backstroke (55.15),” he says.

SAMPLE TRAINING SESSION: MAGGIE McGUIRE (Day 21, Week 5—Wednesday, March 31 p.m.)

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Warm-up (900 yards) • 300 freestyle • 6 x 100 (1st: breast/free, 2nd: back/free, 3rd: fly/free, repeat) (Take heart rate at 200 yards) • 4 x 50 freestyle @ :50 (sprint down, easy back) EN3 (1,600 yards) • 8 x 200 freestyle Odds free @ 2:20, evens back @ 2:30 (Maggie held 2:05 on free, 2:15 on back) Stroke Work (300 yards) • Turns (6 x 50 choice, full turn from midpool) Kicking (300 yards) • 6 x 50 choice kick @ 1:00 (high speed, all back kick) EN3 (1,000 yards) • 3x {3 x 100 freestyle @ fastest interval possible (Easy 50 after each set) (Maggie swam on a 1:05 base and held 1:01s) EN2 and SP2 (1,400 yards) • 8 x 100 @ 1:20 (75 free, last 25 is sprint choice) • 8 x 50 free @ :35 • 8 x 25 choice sprints @ :30 Warm-down (200 yards) • 4 x 50 easy freestyle @ 1:15 Total: 5,900 yards

SCY 100 Back

2018 2019 2020 2021 1:04.47 59.14 53.80 51.23

200 Back

—

200 IM

2:16.88 2:08.83 1:56.85 1:52.17

LC 100 Back

1:12.09 1:06.09 —

59.06

200 Back

2:31.97 2:17.40 —

2:06.44

200 IM

2:31.87 2:25.83 —

2:10.32

2:05.82 1:52.86 1:49.19

Jack Nugent: Like McGuire, Nugent specializes in back, distance and IM. Standing 6-2, he is the third member of his family to swim for SMCHS and is quickly getting faster.

“His level of improvement in the past two years has been astonishing,” says Coach Ron Blanc, “and his time drops have positioned him as a major college recruit.” At present, collegeswimming.com (swimcloud) has him ranked 21st (state) and 175th (nationally) in the Class of 2023.

“Jack’s technique is well-suited for middistance backstroke,” says his coach. “With increased growth, strength and tempo, he will be a SCY sub-:50 backstroker and sub1:50 IMer. He has connected the intensity requirements in training to produce results in racing. A fierce competitor who doesn’t like to lose, he qualified for his first junior nationals this summer.”

Examples of his progress include a 51.23 Futures 100 back plus 1:49.19 and 2:06.82 200 backs from the 2021 short and long course junior nationals.

SAMPLE TRAINING SET: JACK NUGENT (Day 26, Week 7—Monday, April 12 p.m.)

Warm-up (900 yards) • 300 freestyle • 6 x 100 (25 choice, 25 free) (Take heart rate at 200 yards) • 4 x 50 free @ :50 (25 hard, 25 easy) EN3 (1,000 yards) • 20 x 50 freestyle (interval descends by 1

SMCHS CAPSULE SINCE 1996

second—swim until failure) (:55, :54, :53, :52, :51, :50, :49, :48, :47, :46, :45, :44, :43, :42, :41, :40, :39, :38, :37, :36, :35, :34, :33, :32, :31, :30) (Jack made the :28 interval before missing the :27 interval, so he attempted 29 50s freestyle) Recovery (300 yards) • 3 x 100 @ 1:30 (25 choice, 25 free on easy pace) EN2 and SP2 (900 yards) • 6 x 150 @ 2:20, 2:25 or 2:30.

(Jack held 1:40s and went on the 2:20 base) • 100 free (85%), 10 seconds rest, 50 choice (100%) Kicking (300 yards) • 12 x 25 sprint kick @ :45 (:15 sprint wall kick, flip through arms, 25 sprint kick) Specialty—EN1 and SP3/EN3 (specialty—1,300 yards) • Specialty (done backstroke) • 5 x 100 specialty @ 1:20 (25 specialty, 25 free) • 4x {2 x 50 choice for time (100%) @ 1:30, 100 choice stretch (medium effort) @ 2:00 Warm-down (200 yards) • 4 x 50 easy freestyle @ 1:15 Total: 5,150 yards  Michael J. Stott is an ASCA Level 5 coach, golf and swimming writer. His critically acclaimed coming-of-age golf novel, “Too Much Loft,” was published in June 2021, and is available from Bookbaby.com, Amazon, B&N and book distributors worldwide.

can build team camaraderie. For many, the meets are the most fun they have in high school swimming. In addition, some meets have different formats—like relays only, which are a lot of fun. For the most part, we keep to one swim meet per week and devote much of the season to training.

SW: Is it in the Eagle DNA to swim in college?

CB: I think so. We have coached many talented athletes and had a lot of team success. Our school and teams have developed a culture of striving for academic and athletic excellence. Knowing that encourages others to do the same. Each year the succeeding class wants to continue that legacy of championships and excellence.

SW: What percentage of your athletes also swim club?

CB: Of the 140 athletes on our team, about 30 swim club, so about 20% swim club yearround. The remaining 80% train with us during the high school season.

SW: And what percentage of their training do they do with you at SMCHS? CB: Our year-round club swimmers are given the option of training with their club teams during the high school season if they make certain time standards. We have a good relationship with our local club coaches. We encourage our club swimmers to train whenever they can at our high school practices, especially during our morning workouts. Because of COVID pool restrictions this past year, many of our club swimmers attended our high school practices for their necessary yardage and conditioning.

Q&A / Continued from 45

SW: What does an average in-season weekly high school program look like?

CB: Our daily swim practices go from 2:30 to 5 p.m. We average between 25,000 and 30,000 yards per week, depending on the time of the season. Our morning workouts are in the weight room for two to three hours a week.

like Carmel, Southlake Carroll, Sacred Heart, etc. We want our kids to see the big picture of how we compete against the nation’s best. We go over times from state high school championship meets as goals for our individual swims and relays.

We would absolutely love to swim against Carmel HS in a dual meet—(Coach Plumb, can we set up a home-and-home series?)— although our state organizations may have a say in that matter.

SW: What do the Eagles do for strength and conditioning?

CB: We have a 6,000-square-foot weight room and a strength-and-conditioning coach who has collegiate training experience. Our weight sessions are not lengthy, but are intense and customized to swimmer needs.

We don’t do any bench press or squats, but work on power, core, joint flexibility and stabilization. It has made a huge difference with our athletes.

SW: SMCHS swims a lot of meets, way more than most high school teams. Why is that?

CB: The swim meets are where the athletes

SW: Your high school swimming media guide has to be the most comprehensive, professionally-produced document on the

Eagle girls are this year’s Swimming World independent high school national champions. In addition, they have won 21 Trinity League, eight California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section, three CIF state and one NISCA national title. In 2012, 2017, 2018 and 2021, they topped the NISCA independent school national dual meet team rankings (900+) while finishing second in 2014, 2015 and 2019.

SMCHS boys have won 12 Trinity league crowns, have been CIF runnersup four times, and are the 2021 CIFSS champions. In the process, more than 130 of their aquatic graduates have gone on to compete in collegiate programs. 

planet.

CB: We started our media guide back in 1989 on our parent’s dot-matrix printer, and it has grown to about 80 full-color pages.

The media guide was designed to provide publicity for our swimmers and divers that once seemed to be reserved only for football and basketball players. We hope it is a memento that our athletes will continue to cherish. (For author Ron Blanc), it is a labor of love and a mini-thesis each year.

Once complete, it’s similar to a high school yearbook.

SW: Is it fair to say it is representative of the team parent support?

CB: We cannot run our program without the help and support of the team parents. We would go bananas if we had to do this by ourselves. We want time on our swim team to be a family event where our parents can enjoy their child’s four-year high school experience.

SW: The Jessie Rees Foundation: How did SMCHS get involved in that?

CB: When Jessie was going through her cancer, her sister was a member of our swim team. We met Jessie and saw how strong and awesome she was. We got involved with her and her foundation, which was a blessing to all of our swimmers and coaches.

Jessie would have attended our school when she reached her high school years.

The year that Jessie was to be a freshman, her family donated money to cover another swimmer’s entire team participation fees.

They told us that since this would have been Jessie’s team, they wanted to help someone else financially so that they could be a team member. Jessie’s younger brother was a swimmer with us, so the family stayed with us for a long time.  Michael J. Stott is an ASCA Level 5 coach, golf and swimming writer. His critically acclaimed coming-of-age golf novel, “Too Much Loft,” was published in June 2021, and is available from Bookbaby.com, Amazon, B&N and book distributors worldwide.

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GUTTERTALK

BY DAVID RIEDER

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS RACING IN THE ISL SO SOON AFTER THE OLYMPICS?

CAELEB DRESSEL USA (Cali Condors) [ PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK ]

The goal coming here—my coach was adamant—we’re just coming here to have fun. It’s as simple as that. I know you hear it over and over again, but even more so coming off the Olympics into this. I couldn’t be worried about times or a scoreboard right now, and I think ISL is a perfect place to go, get back into shape, get back into my groove, be around my people again.

I didn’t know if I was going to be ready for it, and after having one meet down, I’m already ready for the next one. I’m trying to take things one day at a time, but it’s weird. I don’t really feel the pressure here. I’m not trying to do anything special. I think that might be why.

The goal here is getting back into shape. I’m not trying to go world records. I’m not trying to beat one person in particular. I’m going to score my points, get back into shape, and have a good time doing it. If I don’t do that, then I need to go home.

BRENDON SMITH Australia (New York Breakers) [PHOTO BY DELLY CARR, SWIMMING AUSTRALIA]

I swam in the ISL competition last year as one of two Australians who made the journey to Budapest.

I am a racer and love to race. Last year, due to continual lockdowns in Victoria, ISL was the only chance I had to compete in any competitions, national or international, without having to do two weeks hotel isolation before I swam.

Swimming ISL last year gave me the confidence to be able to mix it up with the best in the world in the 400 IM, which I believe helped me to win a bronze in that event at the Tokyo Olympics.

I will forever be grateful for the opportunities ISL has given me.

ISL is a great concept, and I would love to see it take off and continue.

For this to happen, it is important for the competition to be strong and continue the momentum from the Olympics. It is a way for swimmers to make some money in a sport they love to do.

SWIM MART

PAIGE MADDEN USA (Tokyo Frog Kings)

MATT TEMPLE Australia (New York Breakers)

[ PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK ]

[PHOTO BY DELLY CARR, SWIMMING

Personally, my goals are to have a positive mental health experience while I’m here. I want to experience Italy, learn about different cultures, and focus on having fun.

Because I was focused on my well-being, I only swam three times between Tokyo and arriving in Naples, so I knew my results wouldn’t be up to par. (Tokyo head coach Dave) Salo has been preaching that we should both “train and race into shape,” and I’ve embraced that!

AUSTRALIA]

Going from the Olympics to the ISL has definitely been a journey. Coming off the high of the Olympics and the amazing success of the Dolphins swim team to going straight to Italy and now racing again has been a big mental shift.

I have set a few focus points for the ISL. In terms of performance, as the ISL is short course, I have set myself a couple small goals around speed in and out of turns and to gain as much speed off the walls as I can.

As this is my first ISL, I want to enjoy the experience, meet new people from across the world and have fun. I honestly haven’t put too much pressure on myself in terms of performance and times, but rather focus on the process and plan of each race.

䜀伀䰀䐀 䴀䔀䐀䄀䰀 倀䔀刀䘀伀刀䴀䄀一䌀䔀 匀吀䄀刀吀匀 圀䤀吀䠀 刀䔀匀䤀匀吀䄀一䌀䔀 吀刀䄀䤀一䤀一䜀

TOM SHIELDS USA (LA Current)

[ PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK ]

Win. Team. Grow the sport. 

一娀䌀漀爀搀稀⸀挀漀洀 㠀 ⸀㠀㠀㘀⸀㘀㘀㈀㄀

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OCTOBER 2021

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PARTING SHOT

The warm-down pool at the ISL Venue in Naples, Italy. [ Photo by Mike Lewis / ISL ] OCTOBER 2021

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